BMW hit-and-run case: Provide free aid or face court's ire, SC to lawyer

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked noted lawyer RK Anand, convicted on contempt of court charges to either provide free legal aid to poor litigants or face punishment, which can be up to six months of jail term. A defence counsel in the BMW hit-and-run case, Anand was found trying to influence a witnesses in the case.

A bench of justices GS Singhvi, Aftab Alam and CK Prasad in the Supreme Court granted Anand a week to think it over and inform the court. The apex court had upheld his conviction on July 29, 2009 and had stripped him of the designation of senior advocate for the contempt of court and asked him as to why his quantum of punishment should not be enhanced.

The BMW hit-and-run case involved late naval chief SM Nanda's grandson Sanjeev Nanda, who had mowed down several persons under the wheels of his rashly-driven BMW on January 10, 1999. The Delhi High Court had held Anand, also a former Rajya Sabha member, and another senior advocate IU Khan guilty for obstructing the course of administration of justice, and as punishment, debarred them both from appearing in courts for four months. The apex court, however, had set aside Khan's conviction on the contempt of court charges.

On May 3 last, SC had expressed dissatisfaction over the tone and tenor of Anand's apology to the court. "Your affidavit does not say you accept what you did. For you, it is still an imputation," the apex court had said after going through the affidavit in which Anand apologised for his conduct.