The Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA) has urged the Supreme Court to take urgent suo motu cognizance of summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to Senior Advocate Pratap Venugopal.
The summons relates to a legal opinion rendered by Senior Advocate Arvind Datar in the matter concerning ESOPs granted by Care Health Insurance Ltd.
According to the letter signed by SCAORA President Vipin Nair, Mr. Venugopal received the summons dated June 18, 2025, from the ED under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, calling him to appear before the agency on June 24, 2025. Venugopal was the Advocate-on-Record in the matter where Datar provided the impugned legal opinion.
The letter expresses deep concern over what it describes as a “dangerous precedent” and an “impermissible transgression” of the lawyer-client privilege. SCAORA emphasized that such coercive measures against legal professionals for discharging their professional duties could have a chilling effect on the independence of the Bar.
Notably, the ED had previously issued a similar summons to Senior Advocate Arvind Datar, which was later withdrawn.
Highlighting Mr. Venugopal’s “impeccable” record and his recent designation as Senior Advocate by the Supreme Court in January 2025, the association argued that any interference in the privileged relationship between an advocate and client threatens the rule of law and undermines the fearless functioning of advocates.
SCAORA has urged the Chief Justice to:
- Examine the legality and propriety of the ED’s summons.
- Safeguard constitutional protections afforded to advocates.
- Issue guidelines to preserve the sanctity of lawyer-client privilege and uphold the independence of the Bar.
“SCAORA has always stood for the independence of the judiciary and preservation of the rule of law,” the letter concludes. “We are confident that the Hon’ble Supreme Court will act decisively to prevent any misuse of executive power that undermines the independence of the legal profession.”
The legal fraternity is now watching closely to see whether the Supreme Court will intervene to safeguard the autonomy and integrity of legal professionals in India.
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