Lawyer offers free aid to appease HC

Senior advocate RK Anand on Wednesday undertook to offer free legal aid for a year and also promised not to make any earning out of the legal profession during the period.

Senior advocate RK Anand on Wednesday undertook to offer free legal aid for a year and also promised not to make any earning out of the legal profession during the period.

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Anand, facing contempt charges for trying to influence a key witness in the hit-and-run case involving his client Sanjeev Nanda, submitted his affidavit to the Supreme Court (SC), in which he has also undertaken to pay R21 lakh to the Bar Council of India (BCI) for setting up a library or a computer centre.

The affidavit follows the SC bench’s option given to Anand to undertake legal aid work if he did not wish the court to deliver a verdict on his plea for not enhancing his punishment.

Upholding Anand’s conviction in the contempt case, the SC bench headed by Justice BN Agarwal (retired since), had on July 31, 2009 sought his response on why the court shouldn’t enhance his punishment.

A bench of Justice GS Singhvi, Justice Aftab Alam and Justice CK Prasad had on September 17, given time to Anand to place his submission.

On perusing Anand’s affidavit, the bench on Wednesday said it would consider his affidavit and pass appropriate order. However, it cautioned the lawyer that the HC verdict was final.