The Madras High Court Bench here on Friday was shocked to come across complaints levelled against two lawyers of indulging in extortion of money from government officials, on the verge of retirement from service, by obtaining information related to their official duties under the Right to Information Act and threatening them of spoiling their peaceful retirement by filing public interest litigation petitions in the court. A Division Bench of Justices S. Nagamuthu and M.V. Muralidaran said the two lawyers were a disgrace to the noble profession.
The misdeeds of the duo came to light following a public interest litigation petition filed by them against the former principal of a government polytechnic college who appeared in court and claimed that the lawyers took Rs.1 lakh from him by threatening to spoil his daughter’s marriage which he had planned to perform utilising his terminal benefits.
Later, when he expressed his inability to pay another Rs.10 lakh demanded by them, the advocates filed the PIL petition.
Similarly, the principal of another government polytechnic college too alleged that the lawyers took Rs.1 lakh from him too.
Hence, the judges directed the two advocates to file a written explanation to the allegations levelled against them and adjourned the hearing in the case to October 21.
