CHENNAI: Adding to the agony of the arrested Congress leader and former union minister P

, the statutory Bar Council of India has issued notice to him and his senior advocate-wife Nalini Chiambaram summoning them to appear before the committee on September 28.

A four-member special committee of the BCI issued the notices on Saturday, in connection with a complaint lodged by J Gopikrishnan seeking action against the renowned lawyer-couple for ‘misuse’ of their senior advocate designations.

On January 16, 2019 Gopikrishnan wrote to the Supreme Court stating that though Chidambaram had been chargesheeted in corruption and criminal cases being investigated by the by the CBI, the Income Tax department and the Enforcement Directorate, he on January 11, 2019 came to a trial- hearing his anticipatory bail plea- in the senior advocate robes. Noting that it was unethical for a designated senior lawyer to visit the court while his case was being argued, he said it was clear misuse of the designation.

"After perusal of the complaint, and in the interest of justice, the committee is to issue notice to P Chidambaram, senior advocate, and his wife Nalini Chidambaram, senior advocate, as well as to the complainant J Gopikrishnan, to appear before the committee on September 28 at 11.30am at Bar Council of India either in person or through their counsel,” read an order issued by the committee.

It also said that along with the present notice, a copy of the complaint as well as a letter from the deputy registrar of the Supreme Court be sent to the couple, enabling them to submit their replies to the BCI.

The four-member committee comprises senior advocate and BCI co-chairman of S Prabakaran, Ved Sharma, BCI member and co-chairman representing New Delhi, Shylendra Dubey, a member representing Chattisgarh, and Srimali, a BCI member from Rajasthan.

On May 31, 2019, deputy registrar of the Supreme Court forwarded the complaint to the BCI saying the letter-petition was “self-explanatory” and that it was being forwarded to the BCI “for action as may deem fit.”