New Delhi: Bar Council of India (BCI) Co-Chairman YR Sadasiva Reddy has called for the immediate resignation of BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra, citing what he described as serious concerns over the functioning of the council.
In a letter dated August 22, Reddy said his demand was made in his capacity as an elected BCI member and senior member of the legal profession. He alleged that the council had moved away from principles of transparency and accountability under Mishra’s leadership.
Reddy raised allegations of irregular appointments, claiming that several positions were filled without proper advertisements or transparent selection procedures. He also questioned the functioning of a trust called BCI Trust PEARL-First, which was established in 2020.
According to Reddy, around Rs 150 crore was transferred from BCI funds to the trust despite objections from some council members. He further alleged that certain law colleges seeking approval or renewal were being asked to make contributions ranging between Rs 25 lakh and Rs 1 crore to the trust.
Reddy also criticised Mishra’s prolonged tenure as BCI chairman. He said Mishra’s continued occupation of the post since 2012, apart from a brief break, went against the principle of rotation intended for the office.
He has given Mishra 15 days to resign and sought a special BCI meeting to consider the issues raised in his letter. Reddy also called for an independent audit of the BCI and BCI Trust PEARL-First accounts, including an examination of the trust’s finances since its establishment.
He further urged Mishra to immediately stop accepting contributions, donations or other payments from law colleges, universities or managements on behalf of the BCI or entities associated with it.
Mishra rejects allegations
Responding to Reddy’s allegations, Mishra dismissed them as baseless and suggested that they were politically motivated. He said Reddy had opposed him on several issues in the past and claimed that he had remained silent for years before raising the current concerns.
On the issue of his tenure, Mishra argued that there is no fixed legal limit preventing him from continuing as chairman as long as he is elected by members of the Bar.
Plea pending before Supreme Court
The controversy comes amid a separate petition in the Supreme Court challenging Mishra’s continued tenure as BCI chairman.
The petition, filed by advocate Yogamaya MG, argues that BCI Rule 12(2) provides for a two-year term for the chairman and vice-chairman, subject to cessation of membership.
Mishra was first elected BCI chairman in 2012 and, after briefly leaving the position in 2014, returned later that year. The petition challenges a 2025 Gazette notification extending his tenure until 2030 and argues that an administrative notification cannot override the statutory framework governing the council.
The petitioner has also sought an independent committee headed by a former Supreme Court judge or former high court chief justice to examine the matter.
