SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, April 19: The High Court appointed five members Special Committee of senior lawyers has sent three names to the State Bar Council for perusal as election officers to conduct the Dhanbad Bar Association election.
At the AGM (Annual General Meeting) convened on the directive of the High Court on April 17, the House of Bar Association had suggested 19 names, including five members of the Special Committee for three posts of election officers.
The Special Committee members comprising senior lawyers Bajendra Prasad Singh, Sumiran Pal, Arun Kumar Singh, Bhagirath Ray and PC Mahto held a meeting on Tuesday evening and sent three names to State Bar Council as per High Court order for the final nod.
Though Brajendra Prasad Singh did not receive the calls despite repeated attempts, one of the members of the Special Committee said three names have been sent and now the ball is in the court of the State Bar Council to fix the date of election of the district bar association. However, the members refused to disclose the names of selected election officers. Dhanbad Bar Association has 4000 members. The tenure of the present committee was completed on March 26.
Outgoing president of the Dhanbad Bar Association Amrendra Sahay when contacted said that he had no information on whether the Special Committee finalized three names out of 19 suggested by the house or sent it to the State Bar Council. “ Why would the committee inform me?”, he asked.
The Jharkhand High Court had to interfere in the Dhanbad Bar Association matter when the outgoing committee and the State Bar Council headed for a collision course over holding the annual general meeting (AGM). The tenure of the present committee ended on March 26 and the State Council announced holding AGM on April 11.
Despite the writ in the High Court, the State Council sent its two observers to Dhanbad and conducted the AGM.
On the other hand, the outgoing committee challenged the decision of the State Council in the High Court and announced its date April 11 for holding AGM,
However, on April 5, the High Court banned both the meeting and appointed 5 members Special Committee to conduct AGM on April 17 and to select three names for holding the election.
