Lawyers’ body seeks Rs 20 lakh loan, interest waiver due to pandemic, SC seeks credentials

 The Supreme Court Thursday asked for the credentials of a lawyers’ body seeking direction to the Centre to waive interest on loan to its members and granting Rs 20 lakh credit to the association on account of financial problems faced due to the pandemic.

A bench, consisting of Chief Justice S A Bobde, Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian asked advocate Varinder Kumar Sharma, appearing for petitioner -- ‘Supreme Court Arguing Counsel Association’ -- about the organization, its members and election of its office bearers.

“We are not questioning your motive but we want to know about this association. You file an affidavit giving each and every detail and then we will look into it,” the bench told the counsel.

Sharma said he would file the affidavit within a week after which the bench adjourned the hearing in the matter.“One week’s time is granted to the counsel for the petitioner to file a detailed affidavit. List thereafter, the bench said.

The association in its plea filed through Sharma said that it has members who have more than 10 years of experience in practising before the top court and they are the real brief holders of the cases.

They (members) have come from across the country and started practice, after purchasing an office and house. They have taken loans for their offices and houses. In the present pandemic situation normal work of the courts are suspended for the last six months and there are no chances to start the work smoothly in the near future, the plea said.  

It said that consequently members of the association are unable to pay the monthly instalments of the loan amount of their office and housing loan.

That the cause of action arose to file the present petition, when members of the petitioner are facing financial difficulties in paying the loan and suffering a lot due to the COVID-19, the plea said.  

They sought indulgence of the court in issuing directions to the Centre for relaxation in payment of monthly instalments as well as for grant of interest free loan up to Rs 20 lakh. 

(Image Credits:PTI)