Tuesday, May 07, 2013

CA lost his membership for having two wives


Moral turpitude means anything contrary to honesty, modesty or good morals.

In a matrimonial dispute between a qualified Chartered Accountant and his wife and on a complaint by his estranged wife, under Section 21 of the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949, the CA’s name was removed from the Register by the ICAIon the grounds of bigamy charges. The CA contended that the allegation of bigamous (two wives) marriage would not come within the meaning of moral turpitude and filed the instant writ to quash the order passed by the ICAI.

The HC observed that "moral turpitude" isn't defined anywhere. But it means anything done contrary to justice, honesty, modesty or good morals. The appellant had attracted disqualification by operation of law, viz., Section 8of the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949, due to his committing an offence involving moral turpitude and dismissed appellant’s writ.

 (P. MOHANASUNDARAM V. PRESIDENT, ICAI[2013] (Madras))

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