Rift within Cal HC Bar Association over judge DK Sharma’s swearing-in ceremony
Kolkata: The swearing-in ceremony of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma has apparently caused a rift within the Bar Association, High Court, Calcutta as a letter signed by its secretary has sought to show-cause the president following the latter’s decision to withdraw the previous resolution concerning boycotting of the judge.
A letter, addressed to the president of Bar Association, High Court, Calcutta, Ashok Kumar Dhandhania and signed by the honorary secretary Sankar Prasad Dalapati, accused the former of inopportunely opposing resolutions decided by Bar Association, as per his “motivated whims” and “arbitrarily pretending” absence on the ground of ill health, putting others in impasse.
Alluding to the president’s recent communication to the Chief Justice of the High Court, informing that the previous memorandum conveying boycott of the swearing-in ceremony was sent without his consent, the letter read: “Immediately after one resolution is passed and circulated, suddenly you recovered mysteriously from pretentious illness & expressed that said resolution has been taken without your consent & you are in habit to start weeping, making the affair of association a derision.”
“Perhaps you have forgotten that the Bar Association and Bar Library Club had taken a joint resolution dated 1st April 2025 passed in the general body which in due course got support from Incorporated Law Society. Subsequently, Three Wings conjointly sent a letter to Hon’ble Chief Justice on 1st April 2025. You appeared oblivious of the Rule of the Bar Association that it permits taking any resolution in absence of Honorary President,” it read.
The president was accused of having “arbitrarily” shown dissent from the unanimous resolution adopted by the members at the general body meeting and showing “undecorated disrespect” to the Rules of the Bar Association.
He was asked to show cause, within a fortnight, as to why his membership of the Bar Association should not be annulled. It was stated that the notice is in consequence of a decision taken by the general body unanimously on April 4.
