NEW DELHI: In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court on Friday directed that investigating officers must not summon lawyers representing the accused, except under specific exceptions provided in law, and any such summons must clearly cite those exceptions.

A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and N V Anjaria said that issuing summons to advocates could infringe upon the fundamental rights of the accused and violate statutory protections of lawyer-client confidentiality. The order came while setting aside a summons issued in a related case.

The court emphasised that investigators cannot seek details of a client from an advocate unless it falls within the exceptions listed under Section 132 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), which protec

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