1 week ago
BCI Co-Chair Demands Mishra Resign Amid Irregularity Allegations
A senior leader of India’s Bar Council has asked its chairman, Manan Kumar Mishra, to resign.
The request was made by co-chairman YR Sadasiva Reddy in a letter dated August 22, 2026.
Reddy says the council may have handled money and staff appointments improperly.
He also questioned a proposed transfer of about ₹150 crore to a trust connected with the council.
Reddy says some law colleges may have been asked for large contributions when seeking approval or renewal.
He criticised an order that briefly threatened the enrolment of NALSAR law graduates.
Mishra says the accusations are baseless and politically motivated.
He says lawyers elected him and that the trust’s finances are audited.
YR Sadasiva Reddy asked BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra to resign immediately or within 15 days.
Reddy alleged that about ₹150 crore in BCI funds was proposed for transfer to BCI Trust PEARL-First, registered in September 2020.
He also alleged opaque appointments involving Mishra’s relatives and contributions sought from law colleges seeking approval or renewal.
Reddy criticised the withdrawn August 13 directive barring enrolment of NALSAR’s 2026 graduating batch and sought an independent inquiry and audits.
Mishra rejected the allegations, defended his elected mandate and said the trust’s accounts are audited and publicly available.
- Who
- BCI Co-Chairman YR Sadasiva Reddy demanded the resignation of BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra, who rejected the demand.
- What
- Reddy sought Mishra’s resignation, a special BCI meeting, independent inquiries and audits over alleged financial, appointment and governance irregularities.
- Where
- The dispute concerns the Bar Council of India in India; protests were reported outside its office in New Delhi, while the NALSAR matter involved Hyderabad.
- When
- Reddy’s letter was dated August 22, 2026, and gave Mishra 15 days to resign; the NALSAR directive was issued on August 13, 2026.
- Why
- Reddy cited alleged fund transfers, opaque appointments, payments allegedly sought from law colleges, Mishra’s long tenure and the withdrawn NALSAR directive.
Reddy and Mishra’s Critics
Mishra’s Defense
Whether Mishra Should Resign
Reddy and Mishra’s Critics
Reddy said Mishra should resign immediately or within 15 days because alleged irregularities and unilateral decisions have damaged the BCI’s credibility.
Mishra’s Defense
Mishra refused to resign, saying he is an elected representative with support from more than two-thirds of BCI members and millions of lawyers.
Financial Management
Reddy and Mishra’s Critics
Reddy alleged that about ₹150 crore was proposed for transfer to BCI Trust PEARL-First and that law colleges were asked for substantial contributions linked to the trust.
Mishra’s Defense
Mishra called the allegations baseless, said the trust functions transparently and stated that its accounts are annually audited and publicly available.
Appointments and Governance
Reddy and Mishra’s Critics
Reddy alleged that Mishra’s relatives or associates received appointments without advertisements, selection committee records or merit lists, and criticised alleged factionalism in State Bar Councils.
Mishra’s Defense
Mishra rejected the allegations concerning relatives and said they had no substance.
NALSAR Directive
Reddy and Mishra’s Critics
Reddy said the directive against NALSAR’s 2026 graduates was issued without consultation or a BCI resolution and amounted to reprisal against students for expressing an opinion.
Mishra’s Defense
The directive was withdrawn within hours, and Mishra later expressed regret or apologised; Mishra nevertheless rejected calls for resignation.
Mishra’s Tenure
Reddy and Mishra’s Critics
Reddy and a separate Supreme Court petition questioned Mishra’s uninterrupted tenure since 2012, citing a contention that BCI Rule 12(2) prescribes a two-year chairman’s term.
Mishra’s Defense
Mishra said his position rests on repeated elections and argued that the legislation establishing the BCI does not impose a tenure limit.
Key facts
- Resignation demand
- Reddy asked Mishra to resign immediately or within 15 days of receiving the letter.
- Alleged fund transfer
- Reddy alleged that a resolution proposed transferring about ₹150 crore of BCI funds to BCI Trust PEARL-First.
- Trust registration
- The reports state that BCI Trust PEARL-First was registered on September 17, 2020, with trustees allegedly selected by Mishra.
- Alleged college contributions
- Reddy said law colleges seeking BCI approval or renewal were allegedly asked for contributions ranging from ₹25 lakh to ₹1 crore.
- NALSAR directive
- A directive issued on August 13, 2026, told State Bar Councils not to enrol NALSAR University of Law’s 2026 graduating batch; it was withdrawn within hours.
- Requested oversight
- Reddy sought a special BCI meeting, independent audits of the BCI and PEARL-First, publication of the audit report and an end to alleged college contributions.
- Mishra’s response
- Mishra rejected the allegations, defended his repeated elections and said the trust’s accounts undergo annual audits and are available publicly.
Quotes
Y.R. Sadasiva Reddy
Co-chairman of the Bar Council of India
“Manan Mishra is a man of honesty and integrity. As long as I have the support of the legal fraternity and the country’s 2.5 million lawyers, people like Sadasiva Reddy will come and go and continue making such statements on social media. They have no significance in society, particularly among the legal fraternity.”
news18.com
“When the regulator of a profession is publicly repudiated by the profession it regulates, by the students it is meant to nurture, and by the courts before which it appears, the question of its Chairman’s continuance is no longer a matter of personal preference. It is a question of institutional survival”
theprint.in
Sources
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