LETTER REGARDING INQUIRY INTO FINANCIAL EMBEZZLEMENT

LETTER REGARDING INQUIRY INTO FINANCIAL EMBEZZLEMENT

21-MAY-ENG 1

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA--------------------Vidya Niwas Singh alias Deepak Singh wrote a letter to the President and Secretary, Ara Bar Association regarding formation of a committee comprising senior and distinguished advocates of the Association to investigate financial irregularities and the alleged embezzlement of approximately ₹76 lakhs by both of you—the current President and General Secretary—of the Advocates' Association, Arrah (Bhojpur).

He said that it is respectfully requested that, prior to the General Body Meeting convened for the formation of the Election Officer and the three-member committee for the 2026–2028 session, it is mandatory to present a detailed account of the Association's income and expenditure. If you wish to preserve your reputation, you must provide an account of the funds deposited in the Association during the 2022–2024 session—specifically the ₹25 lakhs you had stated during the General Body Meeting was deposited in the bank—as no report regarding income and expenditure was presented even at that time.

Now, for the 2024–2026 session, it is deemed appropriate that you provide a full account of the total income generated and expenditure incurred by the Association. A comprehensive report detailing the proceeds from the sale of *Vakalatnamas* (Powers of Attorney), affidavits, and other forms; rent and subscriptions; and the "costs" (penalties/fines) collected from accused persons by the courts and deposited with the Association, must be presented. Furthermore, accounts regarding death grants, medical grants, staff salaries, and other miscellaneous expenses should be made available to the esteemed and learned advocates of the Association. Additionally, a report must be presented before the general body of advocates detailing the total amount of debt incurred by the Association, as well as the specific amounts collected from individual shopkeepers for the allotment of new shops within the *Mukhtar Khana* premises.

Information has been received indicating that a total sum of approximately ₹76 lakhs—derived from the sale of Association forms, shop rentals, *Pagdi* (premium/deposit) amounts, and funds collected from the courts—is currently in your custody. To date, the funds collected through forms, rent, and membership subscriptions have not been deposited into the bank account. If you are truly honest, you should release the bank account statements covering the period from 2022 to April 2026; doing so would reveal to all the learned and respected members just how honest you truly are. If you are attempting to engage in a cover-up, please be aware that the members of the Association have already apprised the Bihar Bar Council, Patna, of the situation and the allegations against you. Over the past four years, no General Body Meeting has ever been convened to review the Association's income and expenditure, nor have the daily earnings been deposited into the bank account. Instead, you have been pocketing the entire income without providing any financial accountability. These irregularities came to light during the preparations for the elections for the new 2026–2028 session.

The only funds currently deposited in the bank account are the nomination fees paid via bank drafts by newly enrolled advocates. In a hasty move to withdraw even these funds, you convened a meeting on May 16, 2026—a meeting in which you failed to present any report regarding the Association's income, expenditure, or the utilization of funds. Furthermore, an air-conditioning unit was installed in the Association's premises without obtaining prior consent from the General Body; why was this done?

No resolution regarding the cost of the AC unit was ever passed by the Association's office-bearers or by the general body of learned advocates. However, sources reveal that the installation of the AC unit—as well as the renovation of the restrooms—is being undertaken by the Building Construction Department of the Government of Bihar, a project facilitated through the kind intervention of the Honorable Principal District and Sessions Judge, Arrah (Bhojpur). It is absolutely imperative that you submit a comprehensive report addressing all these matters.

If you persist in attempting a cover-up, desist immediately; otherwise, in the interest of the general body of learned and respected advocates, a First Information Report (FIR) will be lodged against you. Should you be found guilty of financial misappropriation, every single penny belonging to the Association will be recovered from you in strict accordance with the Association's Bye-laws and Uniform Rules.

This appears to be the very reason why you are deliberately delaying the announcement of a date for the General Body Meeting to conduct the elections for the new session—despite explicit directives and orders from the Bihar Bar Council, Patna. This conduct amounts to nothing less than authoritarianism. You must allow for the formation of a committee comprising senior, learned advocates—constituted through a General Body Meeting—to conduct a thorough inquiry, thereby enabling you to clear your name of both sets of allegations leveled against you. Please submit the pre-election report detailing the accounts of income and expenditure at the earliest, and ensure that a copy thereof is made available at every table within the Association.

He forwarded a copy of letter to copy forwarded to: the Chairman, Shri Ramakant Sharma, Bihar Bar Council, Patna, Member, Shri Pannag Tripathi, Bihar Bar Council, Patna, Principal District and Sessions Judge, Arrah Civil Court, Bhojpur.