The Allahabad High Court rejects the bail application of Agra’s senior advocate Prakash Narayan Sharma in a case where he was accused of sexual abuse and clicking obscene photos of his female client.

The bench of Justice Saurabh Shyam Shamsheri made it clear that the relationship between a client and a lawyer is built on trust, and that a professional breaching of that trust is unacceptable.

Since the statement of the victim has not been recorded by the trial court,

The bench is directed to record the victim's statement within three months if there is no legal barrier.

The court further said that bail can’t be granted due to the potential risk of the accused influencing the victim if released.

Case Brief -

In the said matter, the victim approached the accused advocate to contest her case. With time, both of them came closer and a physical relationship developed between the two. The advocate also offered the victim a room for rent.

According to the victim, the accused advocate took a loan of Rs 40 lakh from her to run in the Assembly elections, which he later failed to repay.

The victim further claims that the accused recorded an obscene video of her and threatened her to make the video viral.

The accused, on the other hand, claimed that he was caught in a honey trap. It was the woman who had borrowed money from him and that she was blackmailing him, the advocate said.

The advocate has been held in custody since February 2023 without being granted bail yet, despite the fact that bail is available in this case.