Attorney Privilege Not a Shield in Crime: Telangana High Court Ruling

The Telangana High Court declared that an advocate involved in criminal acts cannot rely on professional privilege protection. This decision arose from a petition by advocate M A Akthar, indicted in a money laundering case by the Enforcement Directorate. The court emphasized that legal status does not exempt misconduct.

In a landmark judgment, the Telangana High Court has ruled that advocates engaging in criminal activities cannot use professional privilege as a shield. This decision emerged from a case involving M A Akthar, a lawyer implicated in a money laundering investigation led by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The court made it clear that when an advocate oversteps their professional bounds and gets entangled in criminal activities, claiming legal immunity under the attorney-client statute is unacceptable. The High Court stated that in Akthar's situation, his attempt to evade accountability by leveraging his status as a lawyer was transparent.

The bench further noted that while the independence of the Bar is vital, it doesn't permit advocates to engage in unlawful activities, such as money laundering. Akthar's attempts to challenge procedural aspects of the investigation were dismissed as lacking merit, indicating that the legal fraternity must uphold ethical standards.

(With inputs from agencies.)