‘No substance to allegations’: BCI Chairman Manan Mishra dismisses co-chair’s claims, invites scrutiny of accounts

Bar Council of India Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra on Saturday dismissed allegations levelled by BCI co-chairman YR Sadasiva Reddy, saying there is “no substance” to the claims and inviting scrutiny of the trust’s accounts.One of the key allegations raised by BCI co-chair Reddy against Manan Mishra concerns appointments to the BCI establishment. (ANI video grab)“If a handful of individuals are making baseless allegations, whether regarding a trust or the appointment of a relative, there is no substance to them. These unfounded claims are surfacing only now,” Mishra told ANI.Also Read: Family-linked appointments, funds diversion: BCI co-chair's allegations against Manan MishraEarlier today, Bar Council of India (BCI) co-chairman and senior advocate YR Sadasiva Reddy demanded the immediate resignation of Mishra, alleging irregularities in appointments to the Council, diversion of funds and a lack of transparency in its functioning.In a letter dated August 22 addressed to Mishra, Reddy sought his resignation and called for an independent inquiry into the allegations. He also demanded a special meeting of the BCI to consider the issues raised in the notice.Family-linked appointments, funds diversionOne of the key allegations raised by Reddy concerns appointments to the BCI's establishment. He alleged that staff appointments were made without a transparent recruitment process and claimed that several employees are personally connected to Mishra.“Appointments to the establishment of the Council made without any transparent process of recruitment,” Reddy said, listing it as the first ground for seeking Mishra's resignation.According to Reddy, he did not previously question the process because he had no reason to believe it was otherwise.However, after examining the current staff list and the details of employees, Reddy alleged that he found “a pattern that no responsible Member can overlook”.“A striking proportion of the staff are persons connected to you personally, several of them being members of, or related to, your own family,” the letter shared by Live Law alleged.(This is a breaking story. It will be updated)