Delhi High Court probes lawyer extortion allegations and reviews district court jurisdiction boost

The Delhi High Court directed the Bar Council of Delhi to investigate two advocates, Naresh Chauhan and his son Prashant Chauhan, for allegedly misusing court proceedings to obtain demolition orders and then extorting money from property owners. The court noted forged signatures on contempt petitions and a broader nexus involving other lawyers and an NGO founder who claimed his signature was misused.

Separately, a six‑judge panel of the Delhi High Court recommended raising the pecuniary jurisdiction of district courts in the capital to ₹10 crore. The proposal sparked a three‑day strike by the Delhi High Court Bar Association, which was called off after Union Law Minister and Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya intervened. While five judges supported the ₹10 crore limit, Justice Prathiba M. Singh dissented, preferring a ₹5 crore increase and suggesting additional reforms. The matter remains pending.