Pranav Shukla
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a First Information Report (FIR) on 22 November, 2024, naming eight lawyers as accused, following directions from the Supreme Court in relation to a fake vakalatnama (legal authorization) in the case of Bhagwan Singh v. State of Uttar Pradesh and Anr.
The FIR alleges that the case revolves around the offenses such as impersonation, making false claims in court, forgery, cheating among other possible crimes.
This development follows a judgment by a Bench comprising Justices Bela M. Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma, which directed the CBI to investigate a case where a litigant claimed he had not filed a special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court and asserted that he had not hired any lawyers to represent him in the matter.
The Bench also warned that lawyers involved in such fraudulent activities would face stern consequences.
In the FIR registered followed preliminary investigation by the CBI, the agency noted that it seems Bhagwan Singh never interacted with any of the lawyers who purportedly represented him in court.
The FIR accuses ten individuals, including eight lawyers, conspiring to file the special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court and miscellaneous applications in the Allahabad High Court.