Bar Council of Delhi urges govt to ensure no lawyer thrown out for non-payment of rent

The Bar Council of Delhi on Monday approached the Delhi High Court seeking direction to the Centre, AAP government and police to ensure no advocate is shunted out of rented accommodation due to failure to pay monthly rent amid the lockdown due to coronavirus.

BCD chairman K C Mittal, in the plea, also sought to issue directions to all authorities, identical to the RBI directions, to defer all dues till the time normalcy restores.

"Many advocates staying in Delhi/NCR in rented accommodation are not in a position to pay rent and are likely to be thrown out with their bags and baggage on the roads, which will create more complication. They are helpless and require immediate remedy and redressal, with the help of the government," the plea said.

It said the Bar Council of Delhi (BCD), with its minimal resources, has decided to provide some initial financial help to such advocates.

The plea said due to the total lockdown, lawyers are not able to earn their livelihood and payment of rent in some cases is not possible.

It referred to the instructions given by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to banks to defer payment of EMIs for home loans, and said it is a step in the right direction.

"It is the duty and responsibility of governments to provide basic necessities, no matter whether the people have lost their jobs or not able to pay rent, or are unemployed, the plea added.

The Centre has announced a 21-day total lockdown till April 14 to arrest the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.