Hisar bar body polls today despite BCI stay; returning officer’s licence suspended

Hisar: A confrontation has erupted over the Hisar District Bar Association elections scheduled for Friday, with polling preparations continuing despite repeated directions from the Bar Council of India (BCI) and the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana (BCPH) to halt the process.The controversy intensified on Thursday after the BCI issued a third communication and ordered the interim suspension of the licence of returning officer advocate Dileep Jakhar. Despite this, Jakhar maintained that polling would be conducted as scheduled.The proposed elections have become a prestige battle between rival groups of advocates. Over the past three days, the BCI has issued three separate communications seeking to stop the election process, while the BCPH has directed that all election-related activities remain suspended until further orders.Jakhar said all arrangements for polling had been completed and voting would be conducted through ballot papers. Polling stations and other logistical preparations, he added, had already been finalised.The BCI suspended Jakhar's licence on an interim basis and barred him from legal practice after election-related guidelines were reportedly issued under his signature despite an earlier order restraining him from playing any role in the election process.The BCPH has also issued show-cause notices to Jakhar and six assistant returning officers, asking why disciplinary action should not be initiated against them for allegedly disregarding council directions.The council further prohibited the Bar Association, ad hoc committee, candidates and their supporters from holding meetings, campaigning, voting or convening any general house gathering related to the election.The dispute stems from objections raised before the BCI over the conduct of the election process. The BCI and BCPH have maintained that the election schedule should remain suspended pending further consideration.Meanwhile, senior advocate and former BCI vice-chairman J S Dalal criticised the intervention of the BCI and BCPH, questioning their authority to interfere in Bar Association elections and the procedure adopted for suspending an advocate's licence.Dalal argued that disciplinary action against an advocate can only be taken through the process prescribed under the Advocates Act and said the actions of the two councils had raised questions over jurisdiction and procedure.