The Supreme Court has strongly disapproved the conduct of both parties in the professional misconduct dispute involving actress Rozlyn Khan (Rehana Khan) and advocate Rizwan Siddiquee, observing that neither the appellant nor the respondent leaves the Court “with credit.”
A Bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta remarked that both parties had approached the Court expecting vindication, yet neither had been candid with it. The Court observed that facts had to be extracted from a record in which suppression, embellishment and afterthoughts had become common features.
The Court emphasised that the judicial process cannot be used as a means to settle scores, salvage reputations that parties themselves have imperilled, or secure an advantage from disputes of their own making.
The Bench further noted that the parties had together occupied the time of the Bar Council of India, a High Court and the Supreme Court for 11 years, observing that such judicial time belonged to other litigants genuinely awaiting adjudication. The Court therefore recorded its strong disapproval of the conduct of both sides.
The dispute arose from professional misconduct proceedings against advocate Rizwan Siddiquee, concerning allegations including disclosure of confidential client information to the media and issuance of a public legal notice without consent. The Bar Council of India had imposed a two-year suspension on the advocate.
The Supreme Court, while examining the challenge to the disciplinary proceedings and the resulting suspension, ultimately upheld the impugned order dated August 11, 2025 and dismissed Civil Appeal No. 12256 of 2025, Civil Appeal No. 7959 of 2026 and Transfer Case No. 7 of 2026.
In view of the conduct of both parties, the Court imposed costs of ₹5 lakh each, directing both sides to deposit the amount with the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee within four weeks, failing which the amount would be recovered in accordance with law.
The Court also directed that all pending applications, if any, stand disposed of.
