Madras High Court Orders CBCID Probe into Alleged Fake Law Firm “JMI Law Associates”

The Madras High Court has directed Tamil Nadu’s Crime Branch-Crime Investigation Department (CBCID) to investigate allegations involving a fake law firm, “JMI Law Associates,” and its representatives, who were allegedly involved in unethical land transactions in Chennai’s Mylapore.

Key Highlights of the Case

Focus of Investigation

• The case revolves around “JMI Law Associates”, which was allegedly run by Jamal Mohammed Ibrahim, a non-lawyer.
• The firm was associated with advocate Preethi Baskar and another individual, Kamalesh Chandrasekaran.

Allegations Against the “Law Firm”

• The “law firm” allegedly represented landowners in court against encroachers.
• Later, the same firm was allegedly involved in transactions to pressure the landowners into parting with their land.

Court’s Concern Over Advertisements on Social Media

• The firm advertised its legal services on LinkedIn and other platforms by referencing routine court orders.
• The Court condemned this act: “In fact, the daily orders being granted by this court have been cited with the names of some of the sitting Hon’ble Judges of this Court to give a fallacious impression to the common people/litigant, which is highly deprecated.”

Legal Profession is Not a Business, Court Reiterates

• Justice AD Jagadish Chandira reminded that law is a noble profession, not a business or trade.
• He warned against misuse of court procedures: “Legal profession must be purified from abuses of the Court procedures. Tactics of filibuster, if adopted by an advocate, is also professional misconduct.”

CBCID and Bar Council to Conduct Investigations

• The CBCID was directed to probe JMI Law Associates and its representatives, verifying if there are pending cases against them.
• The Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry was ordered to:
  • Verify the qualifications and enrollment details of three advocates associated with JMI Law Associates – Preethi Baskar, Mani Bharathi, and Abel Selvakumar.
  • Examine whether JMI Law Associates was legally entitled to operate as a law firm.
  • Investigate the vakalats filed by the firm in courts and tribunals.

Cross-Allegations and Additional Investigations

• Advocate Preethi Baskar made allegations against the opposing counsel, Advocate S Ganesan.
• The Court directed the Bar Council to investigate these claims as well.

Court’s Warning Against Fake Law Firms & Legal Advertising

• The Bar Council was directed to act against lawyers who solicit work or advertise their services, violating professional conduct rules.
• The Court recommended issuing a press release to warn the public about fake law firms.

How the Case Came to Light

The Civil Revision Petition Filed by Kamalesh Chandrasekaran

• Chandrasekaran approached the High Court after a trial court refused to prevent landowners from selling their land.
• He claimed that he had agreed to buy the land after evicting encroachers but the owners backed out and started negotiating with Life Style Builders instead.

Landowners’ Counter-Allegations

• The landowners accused Chandrasekaran and his lawyer, Preethi Baskar, of unethical practices.
• They revealed that Baskar had previously represented them in cases concerning the same land.

Discovery of “JMI Law Associates” & Its Unlawful Operations

• The Court was informed that the law firm was operated by Jamal Mohammed Ibrahim, who was not a qualified lawyer.
• The firm claimed to have dissolved in July 2024, but the Court found that it had issued a legal notice as late as November 18, 2024.

Advocate Preethi Baskar’s Response

• Baskar apologized, attributing her involvement to inexperience.
• She claimed she had cut ties with the firm, but the Court refused to close the matter.

Court’s Final Remarks & Further Action

• The Court refused to dismiss the case, stating: “The entire episode discloses some professional misconduct, misrepresentation, unethical practices, into which, this court cannot indulge and the same need to be addressed and investigated at once only by proper investigating agencies.”
• The case will be heard again after three weeks.

This ruling underscores the importance of upholding ethical legal practices and protecting the public from fraudulent legal services. The CBCID and Bar Council’s investigation is expected to uncover the extent of misconduct and prevent further exploitation of court procedures.

Click Here to Read the original Judgment: Kamalesh Chandrasekaran V. M.A.Noor Jehan Beevi