Bar Council of India (BCI) Co-Chairman and senior advocate Y.R. Sadasiva Reddy has demanded the immediate resignation of BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra, citing serious allegations of financial impropriety, nepotism, and misuse of regulatory powers.
In a six-page letter dated August 22, 2026, addressed directly to Mishra, Reddy accused the Chairman of diverting ₹150 crore of Bar Council funds to a private trust under his control and appointing family members to key positions without transparent processes.
Key Allegations Against Mishra
Reddy outlined several grounds for his resignation demand, including:
Diversion of Funds: Allegedly transferring ₹150 crore from the BCI’s corpus to a new private trust, “BCI Trust PEARL – First,” registered on September 17, 2020, with trustees handpicked by Mishra. Reddy stated that no provision of the Advocates Act, 1961 permits such a transfer, and no Council member has seen the Trust Deed.
Pressure on Law Colleges: Law colleges seeking BCI approval or renewal are reportedly being pressured to make “contributions” ranging from ₹25 lakh to ₹1 crore to the said trust. Reddy emphasized that regulatory powers under the Advocates Act are not a license to raise funds.
Nepotism in Appointments: A significant proportion of BCI staff are allegedly persons connected personally to Mishra, including family members, with no records of advertisements, selection committees, or merit lists placed before the Council.
NALSAR Controversy: Reddy condemned a directive issued on August 13, 2026, instructing State Bar Councils not to enroll the graduating batch of NALSAR University, Hyderabad. The directive, withdrawn within hours after backlash from the Supreme Court Bar Association and the Supreme Court, was described as a “reprisal for having held an opinion.”
Extended Tenure: Mishra has occupied the Chairman’s post continuously since 2012, despite the office’s term being only two years. Reddy remarked, “An elected office that has one occupant for fourteen years has ceased, in any real sense, to be an elected office.”
Call for Accountability and Audit
Reddy has demanded that a Special Meeting of the BCI be convened to consider these matters and requested a special audit of the accounts of both the Bar Council of India and “BCI Trust PEARL – First” by an independent firm empanelled with the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
He also called for an immediate halt to all “contributions” from law colleges to the trust.
Growing Pressure for Resignation
Reddy noted that young advocates, Student Bar Councils of National Law Universities, and even members of Mishra’s own bar association in his home state have publicly called for his departure.
“When the regulator of a profession is publicly repudiated by the profession it regulates… the question of its chairman’s continuance is no longer a matter of personal preference. It is a question of institutional survival,” the letter concluded.
Reddy has given Mishra 15 days to tender his resignation, stating, “This Council has drifted very far from that standard…. I call upon you, in the plainest terms, to tender your resignation from the office of Chairman… forthwith.”
Background
The Bar Council of India, established under the Advocates Act, 1961, is the statutory body regulating legal education and the legal profession in India. Its Chairman is elected by members of the Council for a two-year term.
The allegations come at a time when the legal community is increasingly vocal about transparency and accountability in professional regulatory bodies.
This article is based on a letter issued by BCI Co-Chairman Y.R. Sadasiva Reddy on August 22, 2026, as reported by LiveLaw
