New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has stayed the Bar Council of India’s (BCI) directions initiating a CBI inquiry into the authenticity of Sanjeev Nasiar’s LL.B (Hons.) degree and his removal from the post of Vice Chairman of the Bar Council of Delhi (BCD) until further orders. The court has listed the next hearing for January 21, 2025.
The BCI had questioned the authenticity of Nasiar’s degree, terming it “highly questionable,” and directed a probe without providing him an opportunity to present his case. Representing Nasiar, Senior Advocate Vikas Pahwa argued that the BCI had overstepped its revisional powers, acting unilaterally. “They have not alleged that the degree is forged but merely called it questionable. No opportunity to be heard was given to me, and the BCI directly published its directions,” Pahwa contended.
Pahwa further pointed out that the degree, awarded in 1988 by a university that later started offering the LL.B course in 2008, has been similarly conferred upon high-ranking officials, including High Court judges, designated senior lawyers, and a former speaker. “Why am I being singled out? The direction is not aimed at the university but specifically targets me,” he argued, while seeking interim protection, citing the impact on his reputation and professional obligations.
Appearing for the BCI, Senior Advocate Kirtiman Singh acknowledged that the concerned university had vouched for the genuineness of the degree but maintained that its assurance was not conclusive. “Universities may be complicit in issuing fake degrees. The BCI has the authority to initiate inquiries independently, and the BCD cannot obstruct such actions,” Singh submitted.
The court will now hear the matter in January, with the interim stay providing Nasiar temporary relief from the BCI’s directives.
