Meghalaya bar bodies expel Advocate General Amit Kumar from rolls, seek his removal

A dispute between Meghalaya's top law officer and the state's legal fraternity has escalated, with the High Court of Meghalaya Bar Association and the Shillong Bar Association cutting ties with Advocate General Amit Kumar and seeking his removal from the post.

The decision followed a joint extraordinary general body meeting on August 5, where more than 400 advocates discussed Kumar's alleged remarks during proceedings in a suo motu case concerning the public assault and parading of an advocate in Shillong.

The bar associations have now removed Kumar from their rolls and resolved that their members will no longer recognise him as the Advocate General of Meghalaya. They have also asked the state government to remove him from the post.

The immediate trigger was Kumar's alleged assertion before the High Court that bar associations had failed to ensure the safety of women lawyers and provide them with a secure working environment. The associations took exception to what they viewed as broad allegations against the legal fraternity.

The remarks came during proceedings over an incident in which an advocate was allegedly dragged out of his chamber and paraded through Shillong by members of the Hynniewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF). The advocate had earlier faced allegations of molesting an intern.

The incident had prompted the two bar associations to approach Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere, alleging that authorities had failed to prevent the public humiliation and assault of the advocate.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dere and Justice W Diengdoh, while hearing the matter on July 31, had noted that the police appeared, at first sight, to have failed to intervene despite being present during the incident.

The court was later informed on August 3 that four HNYF members had been arrested.

The controversy surrounding Kumar's remarks intensified after the bar associations sought an explanation from him. His response reportedly failed to settle the issue, paving the way for the associations' decision to sever their formal association with him.

The dispute has unfolded alongside a separate discussion in court on the protection of women advocates and young women interns. During the August 3 hearing, representatives of the bar associations told the court that they remained committed to ensuring their safety and dignity.

The High Court subsequently brought the State Bar Council and Bar Council of India into the proceedings and directed them to address concerns surrounding the safety of women advocates and interns in courts across Meghalaya.

The suo motu case will come up for hearing again on August 19.

The bar associations' demand for Kumar's removal as Advocate General is now pending before the Meghalaya government.