Lawyers call meeting on Justice Pinto's statement

 The Karnataka State Bar Council (KSBC) and Advocates’ Association, Bangalore (AAB) have convened an emergency meeting to discuss their further course of action on the statement of High Court judge, Justice B V Pinto.

Justice Pinto, while addressing newly recruited judges in Mysore on Saturday had said that a majority of the lawyers in Bangalore was involved in flesh trade. Terming the statement “unfortunate,” KSBC president Muniyappa said that it had hurt the feelings of advocates.

Sadashiva Reddy, a KSBC member, said such a statement should not have come from a person like Justice Pinto. “He should have remembered that he too was an advocate before becoming a judge,” Reddy said.

However, K N Puttegowda, a former AAB president, said the statement attributed to Justice Pinto as published in some newspapers may not be true.

“There may be some mistake on the part of the reporter. Being a judge, Justice Pinto could not have spoken in such a manner. When I spoke to him (Justice Pinto), he denied of saying such a thing,” he said.

The AAB, in its press release said: “The statement by the judge has damaged the image of the lawyers. It is unfortunate and the basis of his opinion is not known.”

The press release signed by AAB President K N Subba Reddy and General Secretary A P Ranganath says that it was unworthy of a judge to make such a statement.

“If the judge is aware of this aspect, he ought to have disclosed the names of the advocates concerned,” it says. Further, the AAB also demanded that the judge should reveal the facts immediately or else the statement would be placed before the general body meeting of the Association scheduled for December 11.