Advocate Gunratan Sadavarte moves Bombay High Court against Bar Council disciplinary proceedings

Advocate Gunratan Sadavarte approached the Bombay High Court on Friday challenging the disciplinary proceedings initiated against him by the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa (BCMG)..Sadavarte filed two petitions against the proceedings which were initiated against him for alleged "malicious" and "obnoxious" statements to the media during the hearings in Maratha reservation matter and those related to the legal battle related to strike by Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) employees. .Proceedings were also initiated against the lawyer for wearing black coat with a band at public events including agitation by MSRTC employees, in violation of rules framed by Bar Council India (BCI) for advocates' ethics..Along with others, Sadavarte, who was representing the MSRTC workers in the High Court including striking employees, were booked for the attack on the residence of NCP chief Sharad Pawar on April 8, 2022. The accused were later granted bail by the sessions court. .After Sadavarte mentioned his pleas on Friday, a division bench of Justices GS Patel and Neela K Gokhale agreed to list the matter.As per petition, the BCMG issued notice to Sadavarte informing on February 7 him about the disciplinary proceedings and asked him to remain present for hearing on February 24 to enquire into complaints against him..The Committee comprising its chairperson Gajanan Chavan and advocates Kaiser Ansari and Sangram Desai is probing into the two complaints filed by advocate Sushil Manchekar, former president of the Pimpri Court Bar Association and one RTI activist Nitin Sanjay Yadav from Baramati.As per the allegations made in the complaints, Sadavarte on October 9, 2020, during a debate on TV channel had allegedly made defamatory statements and "malicious and irresponsible" remarks against Members of Parliament (MPs) Udayanraje Bhosale and Sambhaji Raje Chhatrapati, who are descendants of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj..The other allegation was that Sadavarte had made "obnoxious" statements during MSRTC employees strikes and he consciously misled protestors without any due diligence causing suicides of many protestors. Referring to a video on social media platforms, it was also alleged that his underaged daughter was driving a car without license with Sadavarte inside the car. However, Sadavarte has denied the said allegations..Sadavarte, in his plea, stated that a similar complaint was filed against him by Maratha reservation activists and it was dismissed. Hence, present proceedings on the same grounds would amount to "double jeopardy". "A second inquiry on political vendetta is frustrating the spirit of the Advocates Act," the plea said..Sadavarte further claimed the complaints were made to make complainants' "political bosses happy" as he had represented the petitioner who had challenged Maratha reservation, which was later struck down by the Supreme Court. .He added that the Police had already filed a C-summary (closure) report in the FIR on which complaints before the BCMG are filed. .Sadavarte also submitted that the entire corum of disciplinary committee was not present for the hearing and the proceedings were not conducted "in-camera" as prescribed in Part VII Rule 33 of the BCI Rules. .In view of the above, the said that the notice issued to him and the proceedings initiated against him should be quashed and set aside. The Court is likely to hear the petitions on March 9.