Poll mess in Supreme Court’s own backyard

Around 7,000-odd members of the SCBA elected a new panel of office-bearers on Friday. The first of the complaints before Vahanvati is "criminal", filed by defeated lawyer Vijay Pratap Singh, who has demanded that the chairman annul the election results. He has alleged that victorious SCBA President Pravin H Parekh "bribed" members with an elaborate dinner before the election, where liquor was consumed by members in their cars within the premises of the apex court.

“As lawyers, we cannot be silent about such things," Singh told Newsline. “The only action I want on my complaint is the cancellation of last week's election.”

The Solicitor General told Newsline that he too was disturbed at the post-election "mess" and has decided not to be part of any poll panel in the future. "What has happened is unfortunate and sad since even Election Committee members were part of the physical altercation. I will be preparing a report for the SCBA Executive Council for them to take action against errant members."

With defeated SCBA members are gearing up to file writ petitions challenging the conduct and results of the poll, new SCBA president Parekh says members are free to take whatever legal recourse they wanted.

Says Pareena Swarup, who was defeated this year after three terms as Honorary Secretary of the SCBA: "This election was unprecedented and ugly. The entire show was rigged, right from preparation of the voting lists to the fact that several members violated the ‘one bar one vote’ rule with impunity. Members who complained of irregularities during the election were roughed up."