NEW DELHI: Santanu Sinha’s lawyer has reportedly threatened Abhijeet Upadhyay, the advocate who sent a legal notice on behalf of BJP’s Amit Malviya. This incident has led to a formal complaint being lodged with the Bar Council and an FIR being filed.
The complaint, filed by Upadhyay on behalf of Malviya, stated, “To our utter shock, one of the fellow members of the bar, namely Advocate Bipul Kumar, sent a threat message to our senior associate’s personal number, questioning his involvement in the act.” The threatening SMS read, “Who told Mr. Abhijeet that Amit Malviya is a respectable citizen?? His acts are prima facie criminal. Are you also complicit in his acts? Bipul Kumar adv.”
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The complaint emphasised the seriousness of this threat, stating, “This kind of threatening and intimidating SMS, where a fellow member of the bar is questioning another colleague, is totally unethical and unacceptable in our noble profession. If a lawyer who represents and fights for the rights of a client is intimidated in this manner, then how will he be able to tend to his duties and responsibilities as a lawyer properly?”
This development follows the legal notice sent by Malviya to Sinha on June 8, demanding an “unconditional apology” and the removal of the “false and derogatory” post within three days. Malviya’s notice highlighted the gravity of the allegations, stating, “The nature of allegations are extremely offensive. The same is fatally injurious to the dignity and reputation of my client. Such malevolently malicious statements have been deliberately made to tarnish his reputation.”
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Sinha’s allegations, posted on Facebook, accused Malviya of sexual misconduct and surfaced just a day after Prime Minister Modi’s swearing-in ceremony. This has stirred significant controversy, prompting swift action from Malviya.
Meanwhile, the Congress has called for Malviya’s removal from his position in light of Sinha’s allegations. Addressing a press conference, Congress leader Supriya Shrinate said, “An RSS member, Shantanu Sinha, related to BJP leader Rahul Sinha, has said that the BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya has indulged in nefarious activities… The only thing that we seek from the BJP is justice for women. There can be no independent probe unless he is removed from his position.”