Purva Alankrita vs Bar Council of India through Chairman — Bombay HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

Purva Alankrita vs Bar Council of India through Chairman — Bombay HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

No substantive direction issued. The Petition was disposed of on the strength of the Bar Council of India's statements that Respondent No.3 College is registered, that its website would be updated the same evening to reflect this, and that all State Bar Councils would be intimated by e-mail expeditiously, thereby removing the stated obstacle to issuance of provisional Sanad.

Issue for consideration

Whether the State Bar Councils may withhold provisional Sanad from the Petitioners on the ground that the Bar Council of India website shows Respondent No.3 College as not recognized/approved with lapsed registration. +1 more

Court's answer

In light of the Bar Council of India's recorded statements that Respondent No.3 College stands registered, that its website entry was an error which would be corrected the same day, and that all State Bar Councils would be intimated by e-mail, the Court disposed of the Petition.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Bombay High Court (O.O.C.J.), Coram Ravindra V. Ghuge and Ashwin D. Bhobe, JJ., 17th September 2025 — Writ Petition (L) No. 26865 of 2025. Petitioners, law graduates of Respondent No.3 College of Law at Mumbai (affiliated to the University of Mumbai), were aggrieved that the Bar Councils of their respective Home States refused to issue provisional Sanad — required to appear in the All India Bar Exam — because the Bar Council of India website indicated Respondent No.3 College as not recognized/approved with lapsed registration. Counsel for BCI submitted the website entry was an error; Respondent No.3 stood registered (letter dated 13/09/2025, 22 pages, issued by BCI, tendered and marked 'X' for identification, intimating continuation of registration beyond Academic Year 2024-2025); BCI undertook to update its website the same evening and to e-mail all State Bar Councils expeditiously (e-mails already sent to the Bar Councils of Bihar and Delhi). Respondent No.2 (Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa) pointed out no prayers were made against the State Bar Council. In light of these statements, the Petition was disposed of. No statute or precedent was cited; the order proceeds on recorded submissions of counsel, not adjudicated findings.

906-WP(L)-26865-2025(speaking).odt

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY ORDINARY ORIGINAL CIVIL JURISDICTION

WRIT PETITION (L) NO. 26865 OF 2025

Purva Alankrita & Ors. … Petitioners Versus Bar Council of India Through Chairman & Ors. … Respondents

Mr. Nitin Thakkar, Senior Advocate a/w Mr. Jitendra Kshirsagar, Mr. Harshad Kshirsagar, Mr. Amanjhot Anand, Ms. Anita Bhagat, Ms. Sharli Varsulkar, Mr. Yogesh Pund i/b K & K Legal, Advocates for the Petitioner.

Mr. Prasad L. Gajbhiye, Advocate for Respondent No.1 – BCI.

Mr. Uday Varunjikar a/w Mr. Yogendra Rajgor, Mr. Jagdish Rajgor, Ms. Meghna G., Advocates for Respondent No.2-BCMG.

Ms. Manisha Gawde-AGP for Respondent-State.

Mr. Milind Sathe, Senior Advocate a/w Mr. Gaurav Srivastav, Ms. Manoramamohanty, Ms. Malika Mondal i/b S. K. Srivastav and Co., Advocates for Respondent No.3.

CORAM : RAVINDRA V. GHUGE AND

ASHWIN D. BHOBE, JJ.

DATE : 17^th SEPTEMBER, 2025

P.C. :

The Petitioners are law graduates from Respondent No.3,

College of Law at Mumbai affiliated to the University of Mumbai. They

are aggrieved that the Bar Councils of their respective Home States are

not willing to issue them the provisional Sanad. After receiving such

provisional Sanad, they would appear in the All India Bar Exam. The Gayatri Shimpi

Order is corrected as per Speaking to the Minutes of the Order dated 13^th October, 2025.

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906-WP(L)-26865-2025(speaking).odt

reason for the respective State Bar Councils refusing to grant provisional Sanad is that the website of the Bar Council of India indicates that Respondent No.3 College is not recognized / approved and the registration has lapsed.

The learned Advocate appearing on behalf of the Bar Council of India submits that it is an error that has crept into the website. Respondent No.3 is already granted registration. By today evening the Bar Council of India would update its website and it would be reflected that the said Law College (Respondent No.3 herein) is a registered Law College. He, therefore, submits that now there would be no difficulty for any State Bar Council of which the particular Petitioner student belongs, for issuing a provisional Sanad to such a student.

The learned counsel for the BCI further submits that though emails have been sent to the Bar Councils of the State of Bihar and Delhi, further steps would be taken to ensure that all the State Bar Councils in India would also be intimated of this fact through e-mail communication, expeditiously.

Gayatri Shimpi

Order is corrected as per Speaking to the Minutes of the Order dated 13^th October, 2025.

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906-WP(L)-26865-2025(speaking).odt

The learned Advocate for the Bar Council of Maharashtra

and Goa submits that there are no prayers made against the State Bar Council and in view of the statement of the learned counsel for the BCI, this Petition needs more time.

The learned Senior Advocate representing Respondent No.3 Law College submits that the said College has already been granted registration. He tenders a letter dated 13/09/2025 (22 pages), issued by the Bar Council of India wherein it is intimated that the College has been granted registration, meaning thereby that the registration, which existed until the Academic Year 2024-2025, has been continued for further Academic Year. The said communication is marked as ‘X’ for identification. He further submits that these Petitioners have taken education in the said College in the Academic Years 2017- 2018 to 20242025, during which period the College was duly registered.

6. In the light of the above, this Petition is disposed off.

(ASHWIN D. BHOBE, J.) (RAVINDRA V. GHUGE, J.)

Gayatri Shimpi

Order is corrected as per Speaking to the Minutes of the Order dated 13^th October, 2025.

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