The High Court of Meghalaya Bar Association and the Shillong Bar Association have jointly urged the Meghalaya Government to remove Advocate General Amit Kumar from office, citing serious grievances over statements made during court proceedings and other issues concerning the functioning of the State’s legal affairs.
In a joint representation submitted to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, the two bar associations referred to a General Body resolution passed on August 5, 2026, in which more than 400 members unanimously resolved to seek the removal of Amit Kumar from the associations and withdraw his membership.
The dispute largely relates to proceedings in W.P. (C) No. 350 of 2026 on August 3, where the Advocate General allegedly submitted that the bar associations had failed to provide a safe working environment for women lawyers and had not adequately addressed complaints of sexual harassment.
The associations have rejected the allegations, describing them as baseless and stating that the Advocate General did not provide details or particulars of the alleged complaints despite written requests.
According to the bar associations, the writ petition primarily concerned incidents involving non-state actors allegedly taking the law into their own hands.
They cited the alleged assault and public parading of a lawyer in a marketplace following a molestation allegation involving an intern.
The associations have also raised concerns over the Advocate General’s alleged discretionary engagement of external and non-local lawyers, including relatives, claiming that some appointments lacked sufficient experience and resulted in financial implications for the State exchequer while sidelining competent local advocates.
The bar associations have demanded the immediate removal of Amit Kumar as Advocate General, a review of records relating to the engagement of external lawyers representing the State, and the cancellation of appointments found to be unjustified.
They have further called for a transparent and objective system for the future appointment of government advocates and law officers, with priority given to competent local counsel.
Meanwhile, in a separate letter dated August 17 to the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), the Meghalaya associations objected to the national body’s intervention after the SCBA passed a resolution supporting Amit Kumar.