New Delhi, The Delhi High Court has expressed displeasure while terming as “reckless and reprehensible” the actions of an advocate who repeatedly remarked “I cry my beloved justice system” during a hearing and walked out of the courtroom.
“This counsel is clearly aligning himself entirely with the interests of his client to obtain orders which he or his client finds desirable. It appears from the unbecoming conduct of this counsel that to justify the order passed today, to his client he may now try to influence his client and instigate frivolous allegations against the judge and the judicial system,” Justice Arora said in an order passed on November 3. Because the order passed does not suit him or his client, the high court, while taking an exception to the advocate’s conduct, said it was extremely unfortunate that a counsel, who ought to have the highest regard for the process of law, was expressing loss of faith in the judicial system, creating a nuisance of himself.
The high court was hearing a petition filed by 91-year-old Arjun Dev Bhatia, challenging a trial court order permitting his daughter-in-law to enter his house in Pitampura as alternate accommodation under a domestic violence case. The trial court had passed the order on October 23, after the daughter-in-law faced eviction from a rented flat where she had been residing with her husband and two children.
The court said the actions of the lawyer were clearly reckless, reprehensible and amount to misconduct and transferred the case to another bench. “In these circumstances, to protect the dignity of this court and the judicial system, this court deems it appropriate to transfer this matter to another Bench, while retaining the aforesaid directions issued to the petitioner, the landlord…,” Justice Arora said. The court also rejected the advocate’s apology, observing that it was neither heartfelt nor genuine and appeared to be “just lip service”.
