In a decisive move to uphold the integrity of the legal profession, the Bar Council of Telangana has cancelled the memberships of nine lawyers found to be practicing with fake educational certificates. It means that their licence to practice law stands cancelled.
The action underscores the council's zero-tolerance policy for fraud and aims to restore public trust in the state's legal system.
The comprehensive investigation conducted by the Bar Council's Rule-42 Committee revealed that eight of the lawyers had submitted forged educational documents, while one had suppressed vital information during enrolment process.
The discrepancies were unearthed during a certificates' verification drive with various universities.
Bar Council Secretary V Naga Lakshmi confirmed the decision, stating that the rigorous measure was essential to maintain the credibility and ethical standards of the legal profession. The names of the disbarred advocates have been officially struck off the rolls, sending a strong message that such fraudulent practices will not be tolerated.
The nine lawyers whose memberships have been cancelled are Azar Sravan Kumar, M Surekha Ramani, N Vidya Sagar, P Cecil Livingston, Sathesh Kanakatla, Naresh Sunkara, Rajasekhar Chilaka, Srishylam K, and A Uday Kiran.
Each lawyer was given due notice and an opportunity to be heard before the final decision was made.
This action by the Telangana Bar Council is expected to have a far-reaching impact, serving as a deterrent against similar malpractices and reassuring the public about the authenticity of legal professionals in the state.
The council has reiterated its commitment to conducting strict verifications during the enrolment of lawyers to prevent future occurrences of such fraud.
