No summoning of lawyers over advice to clients barring special cases: SC

THE Supreme Court on Friday ruled that investigating officers cannot issue summons to lawyers appearing for the accused unless the matter is covered under any of the exceptions under Section 132 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA).

- SUCHITRA KALYAN MOHANTY @ New Delhi

The SC set aside the summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to two senior lawyers, Arvind Datar and Pratap Venugopal, and said they infringed the fundamental rights of the accused who hired them.

A bench comprising Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and NV Anjaria delivered the verdict in a suo motu case taken up after the ED summoned Datar and Venugopal in connection to a money laundering probe.