Date: 30th September’ 2026
To
The Hon’ble President
High Court Bar Association
High Court, Calcutta
Subject: Representation seeking
protection of my allotted Drawer No. 116 at Room No. 15, High Court Bar
Association, from any proposed re-allotment without my consent.
Respected
Sir,
I, Ashok Kumar Singh, Advocate, Enrollment No. F/872/1199/2000, most respectfully
submit this representation for your kind consideration and necessary
intervention concerning my allotted Drawer
bearing No. 116, situated at Room
No. 15, High Court Bar Association, High Court, Calcutta.
At the outset, I respectfully state
that I have had the privilege of being a member of this Esteemed High Court Bar Association since the year 2000, being the
year of my enrolment as an Advocate with the Bar Council of West Bengal. Thus, I have been associated with this
Hon’ble Bar and its institutional life for approximately twenty-five years.
Ever since my enrolment as an
Advocate in the year 2000, I have been regularly practising before the High Court at Calcutta and, in the
ordinary course of my professional practice, I have been using the facilities
and amenities provided by the High Court Bar Association.
In due course, a sitting arrangement
was allotted to me in Room No. 15 of
the High Court Bar Association, along with the corresponding Drawer bearing No. 116. The said
drawer was allotted to me upon payment of the requisite charges and in
accordance with the prevailing practice and arrangement of the Association.
Since such allotment, the said
drawer has remained associated with me and has been used by me in connection
with my professional practice and requirements as an Advocate.
I respectfully submit that, during
the period commencing from the year 2020,
the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic caused substantial disruption to the
functioning of Courts, Bar Associations and the legal profession as a whole.
The High Court, like other
institutions, experienced significant restrictions and changes in its
functioning. Consequently, my professional engagement and physical appearance
at the High Court became considerably less frequent than in the pre-pandemic
period.
As a natural consequence thereof, my
visits to the High Court Bar Association and my physical presence in the Bar
became less frequent than they had been earlier.
However, I respectfully emphasize
that there was never any intention on
my part to sever my association with the High Court Bar Association, nor did I
ever surrender or relinquish my allotted sitting arrangement or Drawer No. 116.
My visits to the Bar Association
have continued intermittently, and I continue to remain a member of this
Esteemed Association.
I further respectfully state that my
membership subscription and other
applicable dues payable to the High Court Bar Association have been duly paid
and are updated in full.
There is, therefore, no question of
my membership having ceased, having been terminated, or having otherwise become
incapable of recognition on account of any outstanding subscription or other
financial liability towards the Association.
I continue to remain a member of the
High Court Bar Association and continue to have the legitimate expectation that
the facilities and arrangements allotted to me as a member shall not be
disturbed except in accordance with the applicable rules, regulations and
established practice of the Association.
A few days ago, I came to hear
information to the effect that my Drawer
bearing No. 116 in Room No. 15 of the High Court Bar Association was
likely to be allotted to a Junior Advocate.
I respectfully make it clear that,
as of the date of this representation, I
am not in a position to confirm the correctness of such information, and
I do not wish to make any allegation against any particular person.
Nevertheless, the information has
caused me considerable concern and distress because I have neither surrendered the said drawer nor requested the Association
to cancel, withdraw or re-allot the same.
I continue to be alive, active in
the profession to the extent permitted by my circumstances, and continue to
retain my association with the High Court Bar Association. I also continue to
use my allotted drawer whenever I visit the Bar.
I most respectfully submit that mere
reduction in the frequency of my physical visits to the Bar Association,
particularly in the extraordinary circumstances following the COVID-19
pandemic, cannot by itself reasonably be treated as an act of surrender or
relinquishment of my allotted facility.
At no point of time have I submitted
any written request, application, declaration or communication to the High
Court Bar Association stating that (i) I have surrendered Drawer No. 116; (ii) I
have relinquished my right to use the said drawer; (iii) I have consented to
cancellation of the allotment; (iv) I have consented to re-allotment of the
drawer to any other member; or (v) I have ceased to require the said drawer.
On the contrary, I continue to assert my entitlement to the
drawer allotted to me, subject, of course, to the rules and regulations
governing the High Court Bar Association.
I also respectfully bring to your
kind notice that, at present, my health is not in the best condition. I am
presently suffering from high blood
pressure and diabetes, owing to which my physical movements and regular
attendance at the High Court premises have, at times, been affected.
The occasional absence of a member
from the Bar, particularly owing to health circumstances and the extraordinary
professional disruption caused by the pandemic, ought not to be construed as
abandonment of his membership rights or as an implied surrender of a facility
which was duly allotted to him.
My reduced physical presence should
therefore kindly be considered in the proper perspective.
I have now completed approximately twenty-five years of professional association
with the legal profession and the High Court Bar.
The High Court Bar Association is
not merely an administrative body providing physical facilities to Advocates;
it represents the institutional fraternity, dignity and professional identity
of members of the Bar.
An Advocate who has remained
associated with the Association for such a long period naturally attaches
considerable professional and sentimental value to the sitting arrangement and
facilities allotted to him.
The drawer allotted to me is not
merely a numbered compartment. It forms part of my long-standing professional
association with this Hon’ble Bar and has remained connected with my practice
as an Advocate since its allotment.
I therefore respectfully submit that
any proposal to remove or re-allot the same, particularly without notice to me
and without obtaining my consent, would cause me considerable hardship and
would be deeply hurtful to me as a long-standing member of the Bar.
In the circumstances stated above, I
most respectfully request your good office to kindly verify whether any proposal, decision or arrangement has been made for
re-allotment of Drawer No. 116, Room No. 15, High Court Bar Association, to any
other Advocate.
If any such proposal is under
consideration, I humbly request that the same may kindly be kept in abeyance forthwith,
particularly since I have never surrendered the drawer or consented to its
re-allotment.
I further request that no
third-party interest or right may kindly be created in respect of Drawer No. 116 without (a) prior
notice to me; (b) giving me an opportunity to place my case before the
appropriate authority of the Association; and (c) following the applicable
rules, regulations and established procedure of the High Court Bar Association.
In view of the above facts and
circumstances, I most respectfully request your goodself, as the Hon’ble
President of this Esteemed Association, to kindly intervene personally and
ensure that my Drawer No. 116, Room No.
15, High Court Bar Association, High Court, Calcutta, is not allotted or
transferred to any other Advocate without my prior consent and without
following due procedure.
I further request that my
long-standing membership since the year 2000,
my approximately twenty-five years of
association with the High Court Bar, my continued membership, the fact
that my subscription is fully updated, and my continued intermittent use of the
Bar facilities may kindly be taken into consideration.
I have always regarded the High
Court Bar Association as my professional home and have the highest respect for
its office-bearers and its institutional traditions. I am therefore approaching
you with the utmost respect and with the bona fide expectation that my
grievance will receive your sympathetic and immediate consideration.
I reiterate that I have never surrendered Drawer No. 116, nor
have I authorised or consented to its allotment to any other person.
I therefore humbly request that the
dignity, legitimate expectation and long-standing association of a member who
has been associated with this Hon’ble Bar since the year 2000 may kindly be protected, and that
the existing allotment in my favour may kindly be maintained unless I myself
voluntarily surrender the same or the Association, acting strictly in
accordance with its applicable rules and procedure, determines otherwise after
giving me due notice and opportunity.
I shall remain grateful for your
kind intervention and appropriate action in the matter.
Thanking
you,
Yours faithfully,
Ashok
Kumar Singh
Advocate
Enrollment No.: F/872/1199/2000
Member, High Court Bar Association
High Court, Calcutta
Date: 30th September’ 2026
Place: Kolkata
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