CJI BR Gavai raps SCBA, BCI urges farewell for retiring SC Judge Bela Trivedi
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New Delhi (PTI): The Bar Council of India on Friday urged the Supreme Court Bar Association and the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association to organise an official farewell ceremony for Justice Bela M Trivedi.
Earlier in the day, Chief Justice of India B R Gavai, while presiding over ceremonial bench proceedings conducted to bid farewell to Justice Trivedi, deprecated the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) for not holding the usual function for the retiring judge.
"I must deprecate openly, because I believe in speaking plainly... The association (SCBA) ought not to have taken such a stand," the CJI said.
As a matter of practice, the SCBA holds farewell functions for retiring apex court judges. An exceptional decision was taken in Justice Trivedi's case, possibly because of some decisions that went against the lawyers affiliated to the bar body.
Manan Kumar Mishra, the chairperson of Bar Council of India (BCI), wrote to SCBA president Kapil Sibal and Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA) head Vipin Nair to express deep concern over not holding a farewell function for Justice Trivedi.
"The denial of a farewell to a judge of such stature raises questions about the institutional values that we, as a collective body of legal professionals, stand for.
"To ignore her contributions and deny her the respect she rightfully deserves is to diminish the very principles of equity, fairness and integrity that Justice Trivedi has ardently upheld throughout her illustrious career," the BCI chairperson said.
The BCI further acknowledged the pivotal role of both SCBA and SCAORA in shaping the ethos of the legal community and said, "The SCBA and SCAORA have for long exemplified leadership, wisdom and a deep sense of institutional responsibility.
"Your actions resonate far beyond the walls of the Supreme Court and serve as guiding lights for the legal fraternity and the nation at large."
The BCI emphasised that a farewell is not a matter of mere ceremony, but a reaffirmation of the collective commitment to the values and traditions that uphold the dignity of the judiciary.
"Institutions are sustained by traditions, and traditions are upheld by the respect we accord to those who serve them with distinction and honour.
"We humbly urge the SCBA and SCAORA to uphold this tradition, and offer Justice Trivedi the farewell she deserves, as a gesture of institutional gratitude and respect," Mishra said.
Justice Trivedi, the 11th woman judge to be appointed in the history of the apex court, was elevated to the top court on August 31, 2021, where spent over three years.
Though Justice Trivedi would have demitted office on June 9, 2025, Friday marked her last day in office owing to a personal commitment.
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Traffic fraud: Fake 'no-entry' sticker racket busted in Delhi, mastermind among 3 held
New Delhi (PTI): Police here have busted a crime syndicate involved in traffic fraud and extortion, arresting three people including the alleged mastermind who sold fake stickers to help commercial vehicles bypass no-entry restrictions, an official said on Saturday.
The police said they dismantled a third organised syndicate linked to traffic-related frauds, with the arrest of Rinku Rana alias Bhushan, his associate Sonu Sharma and Mukesh Kumar alias Pakodi, who was also connected to another extortion syndicate.
According to the police, Rinku Rana was running a well-organised network that facilitated the movement of commercial goods vehicles during restricted hours by selling fake 'marka' or stickers for Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 per vehicle every month. The stickers were falsely projected as authorisation to evade traffic challans.
During raids, the police recovered Rs 31 lakh in cash, property documents worth several crores of rupees, over 500 fake stickers and six mobile phones allegedly used to operate the syndicate.
The crackdown followed a complaint filed by a traffic police officer in April this year after a commercial vehicle tried to evade checking by producing a fake sticker claiming exemption from enforcement action.
Investigation revealed that social media groups were being used to coordinate the illegal movement of vehicles and alert drivers about traffic police checkpoints, police said.
"A parallel system was being run to cheat drivers and vehicle owners while undermining traffic enforcement. On the basis of evidence, provisions related to organised crime under the BNS were invoked," a senior police officer said.
Sonu Sharma, the police said, managed social media groups through which stickers were sold and real-time alerts were circulated regarding traffic police movement. He also acted as a link between Rana and drivers operating in the field.
In a related development, Mukesh Kumar alias Pakodi, an associate of Rajkumar alias Raju Meena, who was earlier arrested under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), was also apprehended.
Mukesh allegedly helped extort money from transporters and was involved in blackmailing traffic police personnel by recording enforcement actions, the police said.
Investigators alleged the syndicate led by Rajkumar deployed drivers to deliberately violate traffic rules and secretly record police officials during challans, later using manipulated videos to extort money under threat of false allegations.
The police said that in total, eight accused belonging to three different organised crime syndicates linked to traffic frauds and extortion have been arrested so far.
Further investigation is underway to trace the remaining members, conduct financial probes, and analyse digital evidence recovered during the raids, officials added.
