Bihar PAAG unhappy over Oppn charge of engaging weak counsels

Principal Additional Advocate General of Bihar today expressed "serious reservation" over repeated statements by political parties alleging that Bihar government facilitated the grant of bail to prominent accused persons by engaging "weak" state counsels either in the apex court or in the high court.
The PAAG condemned such statements and expressed hope they would not be repeated in future by all parties.
"...We, the member of the Bar in general, are equally very hurt and express our serious reservation for such statements. We condemn such statements... We hope and trust that this trend of defaming a counsel or dragging court proceeding in public or media will be discontinued by all concerned," PAAG Lalit Kishore told reporters here.

Some senior leaders of Bihar Opposition BJP have been alleging the state government engaged 'weak' counsels to argue criminal cases involving Mohammad Shahabuddin, Raj Ballabh Yadav, and Rakesh Ranjan alias Rocky Yadav- who is accused of killing a Class XII student for overtaking his SUV in Gaya.
BJP leader Sushil Modi has time and again said the state government engaged a senior Supreme Court lawyer to defend prohibition in the high court, while cases of Shahabuddin and Raj Ballabh were entrusted to a junior legal officer and even the Advocate General or the Additional Advocate General did not handle the case in the high court.

Kishore, while defending government lawyers, said, "One does not know as to whether the said leaders are in possession of some device to measure and classify a counsel as weak or strong/eminent."

"The court decides the matter not only on the basis of the arguments by the counsels, but also after perusal of all materials brought on records by both sides including order of lower courts. Such orders are passed by the courts after application of mind," he said adding, one has the right to assail the order before a higher court.
Criticising leaders for classifying lawyers as weak or strong, Kishore said, "It is really very disgraceful and shocking to classify/categorise/describe any counsel as weak."

"It is a direct imputation concerning the said counsel and the same was made intending to harm or knowing that such imputation will harm the reputation of such counsel," the PAAG said, adding the concerned counsel can take legal recourse available in the law against the authors of such statements.