Bar Council Show Cause To Sr Advocates Anand, Khan

New Delhi, June 2 (UNI) Senior advocates R K Anand and I U Khan were issued show cause notices by the Bar Council of Delhi today over a TV news report alleging collusion between them to shield an influential driver of a BMW being tried for the killing of six pedestrians eight years ago.

A statutory body empowered to discipline errant lawyers, the Council took ''suo moto cognizance'' of the NDTV report that the lawyers constituting the defence and the prosecution tried to influence a key witness to the incident.

''After discussion on this issue,'' a Council statement said, ''all the members present in the meeting unanimously decided to issue a show cause notice for 20th July 2007.'' The Council called for ''their comments with reference to the aforesaid clippings/footage shown on NDTV News Channel.'' The report containing secretly videotaped conversation between defence lawyer Anand, public prosecutor Khan and witness Sunil Kulkarni triggered calls by peers for a ''full inquiry.'' ''Let there be a full inquiry,'' former Attorny General Soli Sorabjee told a reporter.

Former Law Minister Arun Jaitley said the matter ought to be looked into by the Bar Council, a statutory body empowered to discipline errant lawyers. ''It is the exclusive prerogative of the Bar Council.'' A day after the report aired, Khan was reported to have been dropped as public prosecutor in the BMW affair.

The 1999 incident in which six persons were allegedly run over by a BMW driven by Sanjeev Nanda, son of an arms dealer, made headlines in 1999-- but most witnesses turned hostile afterwards.

Footage aired by NDTV on Wednesday charged collusion involving the prosecution, the defence and an only witness who has not turned hostile.

A former Rajya Sabha Member representing the Congress Party, Anand reportedly issued a statement yesterday that he had initiated legal action against NDTV claiming Rs 50 crores in damages.

UNI