Tamil Nadu bar council prohibits two lawyers from practice

CHENNAI: A vegetable vendor who managed to enrol as an advocate based on a fraudulently obtained law degree, and a city-based advocate cum timber merchant who illegally occupied 26 cents of poramboke land at Erukkencherry here have been suspended from practice by the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Besides suspension, the council has recommended permanent bar against the duo and has imposed Rs 50,000 and Rs 1 lakh respectively as cost on them.

According to the orders passed by the Disciplinary Committee–1 of the council, headed by senior advocate R Singaravelan, the council received a complaint against ‘advocate’ Y Muthumalar of Kanyakumari district that she, along with her husband, was running various firms claiming to be advocates.

It was further alleged that the duo was engaged in various illegal activities posing threat to local residents.

On inquiry, the committee found that she had obtained a law degree fraudulently from a private college in Andhra Pradesh without even attending classes.

It further came to light that she was, in fact, working as a yoga teacher in Kanyakumari during the period she had claimed to have pursued law degree.

This apart, she was found to be involved in various business activities which she is prohibited from being an advocate.

Based on the findings, the committee concluded that it has no other option but to prohibit her from practising law.

Similarly, G Prabhakaran, who was found to be illegally occupying 26 cents of prime proamboke land in Erukkencherry, Chennai and running a timber shop in the property has also been suspended from practice by the committee.

The committee has also imposed Rs 1 lakh as cost on Prabhakaran for professional misconduct and suppression of facts to the bar council.