In his complaint with the Bar Council, Oswald Joseph Coelho said he had engaged Avadesh N Nathani to file a complaint regarding the recovery of his dues for the Voluntary Separation Plan (VSP) against a company FGP Ltd on March 3, 1996, before the Labour Court located in Thane.

Nathani charged Coelho Rs 25,000 for the case, and told him that his case was excellent and strong. As the case progressed Coelho paid Nathani a total of Rs 70,000.

However, the lawyer demanded more money, Coelho stated. When the case was in its concluding stages, Nathani told Coelho that the case would go in his favour if he brought two bottles of Blue Label scotch whisky for the judge handling the case. Coelho complied. Days before the order was to be passed, Nathani then asked Coelho to pay him Rs 3,000 to reimburse money spent ona party with the judge at Golden Door, a restaurant at Bandra, Coelho has stated in his complaint. Coelho paid Nathani the next day.

However, Coelho was shocked to hear from Nathani that his case against the company has weakened and in order to make it stronger he would have to bribe the judge and pay Rs 50,000. This sum was later reduced to Rs 40,000 of which, claimed Coleho, Nathani said Rs 30,000 was paid to the judge and the rest to a middleman, Coelho complained, adding that he borrowed the money from relatives and paid up on August 7, 1997.

On August 26, an order was passed against Coelho which, Nathani reportedly told Coelho, was because the other party had paid the judge Rs one lakh. Nathani paid back Rs 20,000 to Coelho, and refused to pay the balance, states the complaint. Coelho, who says he has taped his discussions with Nathani on an audio cassette, stated he had paid the advocate Rs one lakh in all.

However, Nathani refuted all allegations, terming them `false, frivolous and devoid of anymerit'. He claimed that Coelho still owed him Rs 23,000. Nathani has also stated that he had received threatening calls by a person called `Rane' asking Nathani to pay back Coelho Rs 1.25 lakh. Nathani also denied allegations that he had demanded money from Coelho to bribe the judge.