Citing humiliation, senior advocate quits

New Delhi, December 11 

Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan on Monday quit the legal profession, citing “humiliation” faced in the court of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra during hearing of Delhi Government vs Lt Governor case on administrative control over the national capital. 

In a two-paragraph letter addressed to the CJI, Dhavan said he did not want to continue in the legal profession after the humiliation. 

Designated as a senior advocate by the top court on May 11, 1994, Dhavan has asked the CJI to even take back the designation the top court had conferred upon him. However, he said he would like to keep the gown for the “memory and services he rendered”. 

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The CJI headed the Constitution Bench that heard the case on December 6 when he and Dhavan had a heated exchange. Later, they had a spat during hearing on the Delhi case. 

“After the humiliating end in the Delhi case, I have decided to give up court practice,” read his short letter to the CJI. When contacted, Dhavan refused to comment. “I stand by what I have written in the letter. I would never go back to the court,” Dhavan said. 

However, when asked about Dhavan’s decision, the CJI refused to comment. Dhavan’s decision comes days after the spat with the CJI on two consecutive days last week. During the Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid dispute hearing, Dhavan had asked a CJI-led three-judge Bench to defer hearing of the case till July 15, 2019 as it was not likely to be over until Justice Misra retired in October 2018. 

The Bench had taken exception to his arguments and termed it “unfortunate”. The CJI had lashed out at the senior advocates for making “atrocious arguments” at high pitch and warned of severe action if the Bar failed to regulate its members. He said such lawyers do not deserve senior designation. — TNS