The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana to keep a close watch on a lawyer’s conduct following his involvement in a case concerning religious sentiments. This directive came after the court quashed a 2019 First Information Report (FIR) against Pritpaljit Singh Sangha, who was accused of posting an objectionable message about Hindu deities in a WhatsApp group.
Justice Kuldeep Tiwari issued the order after the complainant, also a lawyer, agreed to settle the matter with Sangha. The court’s decision to quash the FIR was contingent upon Sangha paying ₹50,000 to the Bar Council. The court cautioned that failure to pay would nullify the relief granted.
The court instructed that a copy of the order be sent to the Chairman of the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana, with directions to place it in Sangha’s personal file and monitor his conduct. Should Sangha commit a similar offense in the future, the council is to take appropriate disciplinary action.
The initial complaint was filed by Ashok Sareen, who accused Sangha of posting a derogatory message in the ‘DBA Hoshiarpur’ WhatsApp group, intending to insult Hindu religious beliefs. Sangha sought to quash the FIR soon after it was filed.
Earlier this year, both parties informed the court that they had reached a compromise, leading the court to instruct the trial court to record their statements. After confirming the compromise was genuine and voluntary, the High Court proceeded to quash the FIR.
Sangha was represented by Advocates Gurmeet Singh and SK Kanojia. Deputy Advocate General Pardeep Bajaj represented the State of Punjab, and Advocate Shubham Mirok represented the complainant.
