SC to hear plea challenging FIR in bar council polls issue

The Supreme Court will on Tuesday hear a plea challenging the registration of an FIR against the apex court-appointed ‘High-Powered Election Supervisory Committee’ set up to oversee state bar council elections.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was on Monday told by senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra, who also heads the Bar Council of India, that a lawyer has lodged an FIR against the panel.

Mishra said, “This is very urgent. An FIR has been lodged against the high-powered committee overseeing the Bar Council elections by a lawyer. This is serious. It’s just because his appeal was not considered. This is with regard to Maharashtra and Goa State bar council elections.” “We will list it on Tuesday,” the CJI said. The top court had constituted the panel, headed by former apex court judge Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, to oversee the state bar council elections. The committee also comprises Justice Ravi Shankar Jha (former chief justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court) and senior advocate V Giri.

On February 18, the top court directed its registry to not list any petition relating to state bar council elections and asked aggrieved parties to approach the apex court-appointed committee with their grievances.

Aiming to ensure timely, transparent and fair elections, the top court had earlier ordered that all state bar council elections across India be conducted under the supervision of retired High Court judges with a final deadline of January 31, 2026.