Enrolment of advocates based on fake certificates undermines whole justice system: Delhi HC

The court denied anticipatory bail to a man accused of securing enrolment with the Bar Council of Delhi using a forged LLB degree and marks sheet

New Delhi

The verdict was delivered on December 24, 2025. (Representative photo)

Enrolment of advocates based on fake certificates undermines not just individual cases but the justice delivery system as a whole, the Delhi High Court has held, denying anticipatory bail to a man accused of securing enrolment with the Bar Council of Delhi (BCD) using a forged LLB degree and marks sheet.

The court delivered the verdict in a petition filed by J Vasanthan, challenging a trial court’s December 15, 2025, order rejecting his anticipatory bail in a cheating case registered in November on a complaint by the BCD under provisions of the Indian Penal Code.

“The possessing of valid degrees from recognised colleges to get an enrolment in the bar for practising as a counsel is of utmost importance, the significance of which can never be over emphasised. Enrolment of advocates on the basis of fake certificates not only impacts individual cases in which they represent the litigant, but has a deleterious effect on the entire justice delivery system,” justice Neena Bansal Krishna said in the verdict delivered on December 24, and released later.

The BCD contended that Vasanthan secured enrolment using a fake LLB degree and marks sheet purportedly issued by Bundelkhand University, following which his licence was suspended and the matter referred to the Bar Council of India. During the removal proceedings, Vasanthan claimed that a BCD employee and another advocate had demanded ₹1 lakh to facilitate his enrolment. He applied for an anticipatory bail, but the same was rejected by the sessions court, following which he approached the high court.

In his plea before the Delhi High Court, Vasanthan contended that there was no material evidence linking him to any fraudulent conduct. His lawyer, K Rajan, asserted that his client had even complained about the BCD employee and another advocate, seeking action against them, and asserted that he had merely signed blank papers and an enrolment form while submitting his genuine documents and marks sheets, which were allegedly replaced without his knowledge or consent.

However, the BCD’s lawyer, additional solicitor general Chetan Sharma, said that Vasanthan had admitted to giving money to the BCD employee and another advocate for getting his registration done based on forged and fabricated degree and mark sheets. The very fact of his paying money, the law officer said, reflected his complicity, and there was a larger conspiracy that required investigation.

The Delhi Police, represented by additional public prosecutor Utkarsh, asserted that Vasanthan had also forged a rent agreement to show his residence in Delhi.

Consequently, the court, in its 11-page ruling, dismissed the application, saying that the allegations against Vasanthan were serious and required an in-depth investigation to unearth the entire network for facilitating such registrations.