SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad Aug 11: The Dhanbad Bar Association has plunged into crisis within three months of election.
Four office bearers and five executive members have sent their resignation to the State Bar Council in protest against the alleged arbitrary working style of the president and general secretary.
Those who have sent resignations are vice-president Dhaneswar Mahto, joint secretary Kedar Nath Mahto, treasurer Meghnath Rawani, assistant treasurer Dipak Sah, elected executive members Anil Trivedi, Lalan Gupta, Bharti Srivastava, Rajan Paul and Vijay Panday.
However, Bar Association president Amrendra Sahay said that he has no information about the resignation of any officer-bearer or executive member.
Now, when a crisis has prevailed, a section of senior lawyers said there is no provision for a by-poll in the Model rules of the Bar Association. So, a fresh general election should be done, they added.
On the other hand, another section of senior advocates said a by-poll on vacant posts is the only solution to the present crisis as only three months ago the general election was held.
Notably, a similar situation had appeared in 2008 when the then president advocate Samar Srivastava and general secretary advocate Babloo Pandey resigned and finally a mid-term election was held.
Senior lawyer Babloo Pandey said that Model Rules of Association does not say anything about by-poll.
In 1980 advocate Sudhir Chandra Banerjee was president and advocate BN Lala was general secretary. BN Lala died while on the post and president Sudhir Chandra Banerjee held a by-poll to fill up the vacant post. So some lawyers said it depends on the president to hold by-poll for vacant posts.
Senior lawyer and former vice-president advocate Jaya Kumar said that situation is totally different today as compared to 2008.
“In the year 2008 president Samar Srivastava resigned saying that he was not able to do much being in the post. But today elected members are preferring to resign for want of their say in the working,” observed advocate Jaya Kumar.
But senior lawyer Brajendra Prasad Singh said when a majority of office bearers have resigned, there is no alternative but to hold a fresh election.
