Though noting that there “something fundamentally wrong” with the court and its functioning, senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, who recently quit court practice, decided to make a comeback on the insistence of the clients he is representing in the apex court in the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suits case .
Mr. Dhavan had decided to leave practice over the humiliation he suffered in the Chief Justice’s courtroom on the last day of hearing in the Centre-Delhi government power spat hearing . He was also among the three senior lawyers who almost walked out of the courtroom in the Ayodhya title dispute hearing, protesting that the court had denied their plea for a fair hearing.
Both incidents were later referred to by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra as “atrocious” conduct by senior lawyers. Mr. Dhavan had, little after that, wrote the Chief Justice a one-page letter on December 11, conveying his decision to leave the profession. It was probably the first time that a senior advocate had decided to quit appearing in court claiming he was humiliated as a counsel.
In his letter, also addressed to Chief Justice Misra, on Thursday, Mr. Dhavan wrote that his decision to return to practice was because he had learnt a lot from the Supreme Court and the judicial system, including his colleagues, and felt that he had not repaid his debt.
Mr. Dhavan said he had received several calls and requests from colleagues, one sitting judge and clients past and present to resume his practice. He said he must fulfill his professional obligations in several pending cases, including the Ayodhya case.
In a separate e-mail to The Hindu , Ejaz Maqbool, who is an advocate appearing for two appellants in the Ayodhya case, informed that they had requested Mr. Dhavan to continue represent them as lead counsel in the Supreme Court.
“We requested him to make an exception for the Babri Masjid case and he has accepted our request and he will continue to appear for us in the Babri Masjid case,” Mr. Maqbool wrote.
“There are some things fundamentally wrong with the court and its functioning. But I will never abandon my faith in the rule of law for which the entire judiciary, including the legal community are custodians for the people,” Mr. Dhavan wrote in the letter.
