1 2025:CGHC:57210-DB NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR WPPIL No. 25 of 2025 In The Matter Of Suo Moto Public Interest Litigation Non-Functioning Of State Bar Council Of Chhattisgarh. ... Petitioner(s) versus 1. State of Chhattisgarh Through Secretary, Department of Law and Legislative Affairs, Mantralaya, Mahanadi Bhawan, Atal Nagar, Nava Raipur, Chhattisgarh. 2. Bar Council of India Through Its Secretary, New Delhi. 3. State Bar Council of Chhattisgarh Through Its Governing Body, High Court Premises, Bodari, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. 4. High Court Bar Association Bilaspur Chhattisgarh. Through Its Secretary, High Court Premises, Bodari, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. ...Respondent(s) (Cause-title taken from Case Information System) For Petitioner : None. For Respondent/State : Mr. Yashwant Singh Thakur, Additional Advocate General. For Respondent No. 2 : Dr. Saurabh Kumar Pande, Advocate. For Respondent No. 3 : Mr. Palash Tiwari, Advocate. BRIJMOHAN MORLE Digitally signed by BRIJMOHAN MORLE Date: 2025.11.26 12:16:04 +0530 2 Hon'ble Shri Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice Hon'ble Shri Bibhu Datta Guru , Judge Order on Board Per Ramesh Sinha , Chief Justice 25.11.2025 1. This is an office reference. 2. Heard Mr. Yashwant Singh Thakur, learned Additional Advocate General, appearing for the State/respondent No. 1, Dr. Saurabh Kumar Pande, learned counsel, appearing for respondent No. 2 and Mr. Palash Tiwari, learned counsel, appearing for respondent No. 3. 3. Learned counsel, appearing for respondent No. 2 submits that this Court, vide order dated 06.10.2025, had directed the Secretary, Chhattisgarh State Bar Council to file his personal affidavit. In compliance thereof, Secretary has filed his personal affidavit on 24.11.2025. 4. The relevant portion of the aforesaid affidavit reads as under: “3. That, earlier, a compliance report was submitted on 06.10.2025 stating that the election of the Chhattisgarh State Bar Council had been successfully conducted on 30.09.2025, and that counting of votes would commence on 13.10.2025 and results would tentatively be declared on 15.11.2025. 4. That in strict compliance with the directions of this Hon'ble Court dated 02.04.2025, and in accordance 3 with the provisions of the Advocates Act, 1961, the Bar Council of India Rules, the Gazette Notification dated 09.09.2022, as well as the continuous guidance and supervision of Hon'ble Justice (Retd.) Dr. C.B. Bajpai, Chairman, Supervisory Committee constituted by the Bar Council of India, the entire election process of the State Bar Council Election-2025 has been duly completed. 5. That, the counting of votes commenced on 13.10.2025 and was completed on 21.11.2025, wherein, following the Single Transferable Vote system as mandated under the Election Rules, 79 out of 105 candidates were eliminated and a final panel of top 26 candidates was prepared, out of which 25 candidates have been declared elected. A copy of the Result of the State Bar Council Election-2025 dated 21.11.2025, is annexed herewith as (ANNEXURE R- 3/1). 6. That, the elected candidates shall assume office from the date of publication of the results in the Official Gazette of the State of Chhattisgarh, in terms of Rule 30 of the Chhattisgarh State Bar Council Election Rules, 2006. 5. That, the Respondent No. 3 has, thus, fully and 4 faithfully complied with the directions issued by this Hon'ble Court in its order dated 02.04.2025 as well as the subsequent monitoring order dated 06.10.2025. 8. That, the Respondent No. 3 remains ever obliged to this Hon'ble Court, and respectfully submits that it shall abide by any further directions that this Hon'ble Court may deem fit to issue in the matter.” 6. From a careful perusal of the affidavit placed on record, it appears that the respondent No. 3 has substantially and satisfactorily complied with the directions issued by this Court in its order dated 02.04.2025, as well as the subsequent monitoring order dated 06.10.2025. The affidavit clearly sets out that the entire process of the Chhattisgarh State Bar Council Election-2025—including the conduct of polling on 30.09.2025, the commencement and completion of counting under the Single Transferable Vote system between 13.10.2025 and 21.11.2025, the elimination of 79 out of 105 contesting candidates in accordance with the prescribed norms, and the preparation of a final panel of 26 candidates—has been completed strictly in accordance with the Advocates Act, 1961, the Bar Council of India Rules, the Gazette Notification dated 09.09.2022, and under the continuous supervision of Hon’ble Justice (Retd.) Dr. C.B. Bajpai, Chairman, Supervisory Committee constituted by the Bar Council of India. It is further stated that, upon completion of the counting process, 25 candidates have been declared elected, and they shall assume office upon publication of the 5 results in the Official Gazette of the State of Chhattisgarh, as mandated under Rule 30 of the Chhattisgarh State Bar Council Election Rules, 2006. 7. In view of the aforesaid compliance, nothing further remains for adjudication in the present petition. 8. Accordingly, the petition stands disposed off. Sd/- Sd/- (Bibhu Datta Guru) (Ramesh Sinha) Judge Chief Justice Brijmohan