Supreme Court Rejects Telangana Lawyer's Plea to Contest Bar Council Elections Over Pending Cases
Supreme Court bars Telangana lawyer from State Bar Council elections due to pending criminal complaints.
The Supreme Court on Friday declined to allow a plea filed by Telangana lawyer Rapolu Bhaskar, who has been barred from contesting the upcoming Telangana State Bar Council elections due to pending criminal complaints. The bench was led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi.
Bhaskar, a senior advocate of the Telangana High Court, argued that he had neither been convicted nor punished in any matter and cited his career record of filing over 22,000 cases. His counsel contended that disqualifying him based on third-party complaints was unjust and asked the court to permit him to contest the elections.
However, the Supreme Court emphasized the importance of maintaining high ethical and professional standards for lawyers. Senior advocate and Bar Council of India chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra highlighted that elected members of state bar councils perform quasi-judicial functions, including adjudicating disciplinary matters against lawyers.
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The bench noted that lawyers often approach courts when a person with alleged misconduct contests general elections, and stressed that bar bodies should be allowed to uphold professional integrity. The court’s remarks indicated reluctance to intervene in the state bar council’s disqualification provisions.
Sensing the bench’s stance, Bhaskar chose to withdraw his plea. Following the Supreme Court’s directives, the Telangana State Bar Council elections are scheduled to be completed by January 31, 2026, ensuring that only eligible candidates can contest.
