The disciplinary commitee of the Bar Council of India has suspended an advocate, Vasant Vasudeo Karmarkar, from practicing for five years and has fined him for misconduct and cheating. The advocate from Karjat has also been fined Rs 10,000 to be paid to the complainant within three months. The judgement was conveyed to the complainant M S Patwardhan of Sion in a letter dated August 27.

Since Patwardhan had claimed that a sum of Rs 2.45 lakh had been given to Karmarkar for which no accounts were furnished, the Bar Council, finding merit in the complaints has directed that the advocate should return the claim of Rs 83,000 with the interest of 10 per cent, per annum from the date of the complaint -- August 11, 1989. The amount has to be refunded within three months and his license to practice has been suspended for five years. If he fails to refund the amount, he will have to suffer a suspension of a further five years.

TMC PRO booked for poll codeviolation

An offence has been registered against Thane Municipal Commissioner's Public Relations Officer Govind Bodas at the Naupada police station for violating the code of conduct following a complaint lodged by the Returning Officer for the Thane parliamentary constituency. Thane Municipal Commissioner, Chandrashekhar submitted that the press-note announcing various new projects undertaken by the commissioner and giving credit to Bal Thackeray for the successful implementation of some of these was issued without his knowledge, informed Mukesh Khullar, Thane Collector and District Returning Officer. The Commissioner has issued a show-cause notice to Bodas.

Teachers' Black Day on Sept 5

The Mumbai Junior College Teachers' Union (MJCTU) will observe September 5, Teachers' Day, as `Betrayal Day'. The union will observe a day-long fast at Azad Maidan from 8 am to 6 pm. They are protesting the government's refusal to implement the revised pay scales as demanded by them, despite givingassurances to do so, stated a release signed by MJCTU president Amar Singh.