Shillong: Women advocates in Meghalaya have taken their fight to Raj Bhavan. They officially asked the Governor to fire Advocate General Amit Kumar on Saturday. The lawyers claim Kumar turned state legal work into a family business. They want an independent inquiry into his hiring practices.
The group’s move follows allegations that Kumar hired his wife and son for state panel advocate roles. These appointments began after Kumar took his post in 2018. The lawyers view these decisions as clear cases of nepotism and conflict of interest. They want to know if he used his influence to secure these state contracts.
Advocate Barisha Khongthaw led the push for accountability. The group is tired of the status quo. Khongthaw specifically addressed Kumar’s claims about a hostile environment for women in the local Bar. She told reporters: "The women lawyers were concerned over the AG’s remarks suggesting that women advocates in Meghalaya were facing harassment and did not have a safe environment within the legal fraternity."
The lawyers insist they do not need special treatment. They argue that men and women in the state work side-by-side without bias. They rejected Kumar’s generalized claims made during an August 3 hearing before the Meghalaya High Court. The court session concerned an intern and an advocate, but the Bar claims the AG never provided details when pressed for evidence. A special committee now exists to look into any real complaints.
Beyond the accusations of nepotism, the group demands a complete overhaul of how the state selects legal counsel. They want a system built on merit and fairness, not proximity to the office of the Advocate General. The Governor promised to examine the memorandum and the list of concerns. The lawyers also questioned why an outsider holds the top legal job when the state has plenty of local talent.
Comments