The Supreme Court on Thursday deferred the special leave petition filed by Ashok Arora, former secretary of Supreme Court Bar Association against the Delhi High Court order to next week.
Arora had filed a plea in Delhi High Court challenging his suspension from SCBA, which the court refused to hear and said let the matter be discussed before another bench.
A bench comprising Justices A.M Khanvilkar and B.R Gavai, heard the matter and allowed it to argue in person.The court adjourned the hearing to next Tuesday due to audio issues.
Today, Arora submitted that he wanted to argue in person. The bench directed Arora to first discharge his advocate, if he has engaged an advocate-on-record, and then address the court. Being the advocate in the apex court, he should be aware of the practice, the bench said.
Arora sought permission to make a statement on the same. As AOR agreed to discharge, the court dictated an order whereby Arora was allowed to argue in person.
Arora in his submissions pointed out a “disgusting” incident from the sequence of events. Despite his suspension, the letterhead of SCBA describes him as Hon Secy Ashok Arora (Under Suspension), said Arora on finding the mention humiliating and defamatory.
The bench has asked Arora for the suspension notice. It has also directed him to take the matter to SCBA and ask them to remove his name from the letterhead.
Earlier in November, a division bench Rajiv Sahai Endlaw and Asha Menon upheld the orders of Single Bench of Justice Mukta Gupta, who refused to grant interim relief of staying the SCBA suspension to Arora. Justice Gupta noted that Arora failed to establish a prima facie case in his favour.
On May 8, Arora was suspended from SCBA with immediate effect after the Executive committee took decision in a meeting. The suspension came a day after Arora had called an emergent general meeting (EGM) of the lawyers’ body to deliberate on removal of senior advocate Dushyant Dave from the post of SCBA President.
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Arora then filed a lawsuit in Delhi High Court, challenging his suspension on the ground that his removal by the Executive Committee of SCBA was in violation of principles of natural justice.