28 ADVOCATES SUSPENDED FOR FILING BOGUS COMPENSATION CLAIMS

The Bar Council of India suspended Twenty-eight advocates for filing bogus claims before the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal and under the Workmen Compensation Act. An FIR has also been registered against the twenty-eight advocates. The Bar Council of India also directed the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the 28. It has also been directed to file a report on the inquiry before the BCI within three months.

The response came after a Top Court Bench of Justices MR Shah and Sanjiv Khanna took severe note of the issue relating to advocates filing fake claims while hearing the case of Safiq Ahmed vs. ICICI Lombard General Insurance. The top court observed that despite the constitution of the SIT by the Allahabad HC to look into such fake claims, most cases are still pending. 

BCI chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra appearing before the court during the hearing of the matter, submitted that the UP Bar Council failed to cooperate with the Bar Council of India by not sharing the names of the advocates filing fake and bogus claims. He further assured the court that action would be taken as soon as the names were shared.

According to receipt of the names, a meeting was held on 19.11.2021, and the decision to suspend 28 advocates was taken.

Author: Papiha Ghoshal