Chennai: Hours after a video on an advocate indulging in an obscene act during video-conferencing of court proceedings went viral on the social media triggering outrage among the judiciary, the Bar Council banned him from practising for the rest of his life.
The decision to ban the advocate from practising was taken by the Tamilnadu and Puducherry Bar Council after the Judge on the seat, was annoyed over his act when the proceedings were live.
The advocate, identified as Santhana Krishnan, was caught on camera while the court was in session. The video clip began went viral on the social media.
Soon after this, the Madras High Court bench directed the Bar Council to take action against him.
The Court has also ordered a CB-CID probe into the counsel’s ‘indecent’ action during judicial proceedings and wanted a report to be filed.
The Court also initiated contempt proceedings against the lawyer and has directed the police to check whether the viral video clip of the incident can be pulled down.
The Court hearings are being held online amid the pandemic, and the incident took place during one such virtual court hearing.
The lawyer did not realise that his camera was on, and in the middle of the hearing, was seen canoodling with a woman standing next to him.
The incident caused ‘a great deal of consternation among the judiciary’ as certain people recorded the ‘shameful’ incident in the video and posted it on on the social media.
The Bar Council issued prohibitory orders against the lawyer and passed a resolution barring him from practising in any courts in the State till the disciplinary proceedings against him was disposed of.
It said ‘The Bar Council of Tamilnadu and Puducherry has passed a resolution, dated 21.12.2021 prohibiting him from practising as an advocate in all Courts, Tribunals and other authorities in India either in his name or in any assumed name till the disposal of disciplinary proceedings pending against him for his indecent behaviour while attending the court proceedings of the Hon’ble High Court of Madras through virtual mode.’
It was not clear whether the woman in the video was his wife or a friend of him.