Punjab lawyer puts wedding rituals on hold for client’s bail hearing, earns HC’s praise

Chandigarh, October 31: An advocate of the Punjab and Haryana High Court got a shower of praise from the court when he appeared in a case within hours of his wedding, even as his family and wife waited for the next set of rituals. 

Lupil Gupta, 27, a resident of Zirakpur, tuned in by video-conferencing Wednesday to seek anticipatory bail for his client, and managed to secure it.  The prosecutor said he wanted an adjournment in the case to take instructions from the government on whether anticipatory bail could be allowed, but Gupta opposed the adjournment, telling the judge, Justice Arun Monga, that he had put his wedding rituals on hold for the hearing, The Print reported.

“At this stage learned counsel for the petitioner opposes the adjournment and submits that he has been sitting since morning waiting for this matter to be heard notwithstanding his personal difficulty as he got married only yesterday night and morning ceremony of Doli has been on the hold due to him, since he has been throughout sitting in the video conference, waiting for his turn in the larger interest of discharging his duty to his client,” the judge noted in his order.

“This court wishes him a blissful and happy married life.” 

Gupta got engaged on 26 October and tied the knot the next day. Gupta told ThePrint that he knew his wedding date when the case was listed for 28 October. “I did not get the date changed because never ever in my entire career have I asked for an adjournment or change of date from the court. This is because I believe that I owe a sense of responsibility to my clients,” he said.

“In this case, my client had been waiting for bail for a long time, and we had sound grounds for pressing for it. It would have been very unfair for me to have postponed the case,” he added.

Gupta said his bride, a management graduate, was “completely supportive… even while she and her family waited for the Doli ceremony. which was delayed by about four hours”.