BCI chief Manan Kumar Mishra faces corruption allegations

BCI co-chairman demands probe into transfer of Rs 150 crore to a private trust.

Bar Council of India (BCI) Co-Chairman Y.R. Sadasiva Reddy has written a letter to the Council's Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra demanding his resignation within 15 days. He has also called for an independent investigation into the transfer of the Council's ₹150 crore fund to a private trust, the appointment of "family members to Council positions," and Mishra's continuous tenure since 2012.

According to a report by the legal news website Bar and Bench, Reddy, in his letter dated August 22, wrote that Manan Kumar Mishra should resign from the position of BCI Chairman within 15 days. Under Mishra's leadership, the BCI has deviated from the standards expected of it.

Reddy stated,

The Bar Council of India is not the personal property of any individual. Every rupee it holds is held in trust. The powers it exercises are granted by Parliament for the benefit of advocates, not for the benefit of the individual occupying the Chairman's seat at any given time.

He has also demanded a special meeting of the BCI and an independent audit of the BCI's accounts, as well as the "BCI Trust PEARL - First" established during Mishra's tenure as Chairman. Additionally, Reddy has called for a halt to any further payments from law colleges seeking recognition from the BCI.

This move comes at a time when Mishra recently faced criticism for issuing a letter warning that students of NALSAR in Hyderabad found behind the campaign opposing the participation of Chief Justice of India Justice Suryakant in the law school's convocation would be barred from enrolling as advocates. However, this directive and the proposed inquiry were withdrawn within hours. BCI member Reddy has also mentioned this episode while demanding Mishra's resignation.

Reddy stated that the directive to bar the university's graduating batch from enrollment was issued on August 13, without the matter being placed before the Bar Council of India. Neither was there any deliberation in the council, nor was any resolution passed by the council to issue such a directive.

Reddy's letter stated,

Though an apology was issued, albeit late, that is not the issue. The issue is that the Chairman's position was used to intimidate an entire batch of law graduates—young men and women who had neither power nor voice—and threatened to keep them out of the profession merely for holding an opinion.

Reddy has also cited irregular appointments in the BCI as a basis for demanding Mishra's resignation. Reddy claims that many BCI employees are close to Mishra and appear to have been appointed without any advertisement or transparent selection process.

The letter also raises concerns about the alleged diversion of funds. It states that

In 2020, a new trust named "BCI Trust PEARL - First" was registered, with trustees chosen by Mishra. Reddy alleges that despite objections from several BCI members, approximately ₹150 crore from the BCI fund was transferred to this trust.

Reddy stated that later, several eminent personalities, including former judges, were associated with this trust to give it credibility and prestige, which, given the manner of its formation, it did not deserve. According to the letter, the old BCI trust became inactive thereafter.

The letter further states,

I am not aware of any provision in the Advocates Act, 1961, that allows the transfer of the core funds of a statutory regulatory body (BCI) to a private trust registered by its own Chairman. No member of the Bar Council has seen a copy of the trust deed to date.

Reddy further claimed to have received complaints that law colleges seeking recognition or renewal of recognition from the BCI were asked to contribute between ₹25 lakh and ₹1 crore to the BCI Trust PEARL. The letter states that if these allegations are true, it is a very serious matter. The BCI's power to approve or renew recognition of law courses is not a license to raise funds. Reddy said that the consequences of such acts are visible in the current state of legal education in India.

He wrote,

Colleges that should never have been recognized continue year after year, selling degrees to thousands of young people that do not qualify them for any meaningful work.

The letter also states that several key administrative positions in educational institutions run by the BCI are held by Mishra's family members. Reddy also alleged that orders were issued without deliberation before the full council, promoting factionalism within state bar councils.

Reddy has also questioned Mishra's long tenure. He stated that Mishra has been continuously serving as Chairman for nearly 14 years since 2012, and secured another term in 2025. According to Reddy, this deviates from the principle of rotation envisioned by Parliament for this position. Reddy mentioned protests by advocates outside the BCI office demanding Mishra's resignation and the refusal of Student Bar Councils of National Law Universities (NLUs) to share the stage with the Chairman. He cited this as an indication that "the bar has lost confidence."

Reddy wrote in the letter,

I bear no personal ill will towards you. I have worked with you in this council for a decade. And precisely because I have seen this institution from within for so long, I can say with a clear conscience that as long as you remain in the Chairman's seat, this institution will not recover... The advocates of this country deserve better than what they are currently getting from their own council. I urge you to give them that opportunity.

Meanwhile, a petition has also been filed in the Supreme Court challenging Mishra's continuous tenure as BCI Chairman for over a decade and seeking his removal from the position.

According to a report by Live Law, this writ petition filed by advocate Yogamaya M.G. questions Mishra's tenure and long-standing position. The petition states that Mishra first became BCI Chairman in 2012. After a brief interval in 2014, he returned to the position in November 2014 and has been continuously serving as Chairman since then. He was re-elected unopposed in March 2025. According to the petitioner, this is his seventh consecutive term.

The petition primarily challenges the five-year term notified by the BCI in April 2025. The gazette notification records Mishra's term from April 17, 2025, to April 16, 2030.

The petitioner argues that under Rule 12(2) of the BCI Rules, the term of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman is set at two years or until their membership ceases, whichever is earlier. The petition states that no administrative notification can extend the term beyond the period prescribed in the rules.