Criminal proceedings against advocate stayed

Justice MS Ramesh granted the injunction on Wednesday while passing interim orders on a criminal original petition from advocate K Gowthaman of Kodambakkam, seeking to quash the FIR filed against him on November 28 last.

Reha Banu, in her complaint, had submitted that she engaged the services of advocate S Kumar to assist her in sorting out her late husband’s financial transactions.

The advocate had, under one pretext or the other, collected Rs 50 lakh from her so

far. But when she refused to part with any more, his assistant Gowthaman visited Banu’s house on various occasions and threatened her to part with more money, she had alleged.

Following this, the Nungambakkam police registered the FIR for offences under various sections of the IPC, including 506-1 (criminal intimidation). However, the petitioner had contended that the complaint was false, malicious, frivolous and a vexatious one as it has been lodged with a view to harassing him and tarnishing his image.

Merely asking the legal fees for the services rendered cannot be in any manner termed as extortion, he added.