A senior barrister who also chairs Essex County Cricket Club is facing a seven-day disciplinary hearing in London after allegations that he falsely claimed to have studied at Oxford, qualified as a doctor and played for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).
Anurag Mohindru KC, 50, is said to have made the claims in 2012 while seeking a role at 23 Essex Chambers. Interviewers at the chambers noted the candidate unusually did not name an Oxford college on his curriculum vitae, and subsequent checks by the chambers found no evidence he had played for MCC, won a cricket "Blue" with Oxford against Cambridge, studied at Oxford or qualified as a medical doctor. Mohindru has suggested his CV was altered.
The case is being heard by the Bar Tribunals and Adjudication Service in London and opened this week as Mohindru faces allegations brought by the Bar Standards Board (BSB). James Counsell KC, appearing for the BSB, told the tribunal that Mohindru had committed two offences in breach of the barristers' code of conduct, saying the barrister "conducted himself discreditably, and behaved in a way likely to diminish trust and confidence in the legal profession." The specific allegations are that the statements on his CV were false and that his conduct in relation to those statements amounted to professional misconduct.
Mohindru, who is listed as chairman of Essex County Cricket Club and holds the title of King's Counsel, is contesting the allegations. According to accounts of the 2012 interview, he became heated when questioned about the claims and withdrew his CV. The tribunal will hear evidence over the course of up to seven days before deciding whether disciplinary sanctions are warranted.
The chambers' internal enquiries after the interview reportedly included searches of cricket records and university registers. Those checks found no documentation that Mohindru had played for MCC — historically associated with Lord's cricket ground — or that he had been awarded a Blue for representing Oxford in the Oxford-Cambridge fixture. The searches also did not locate records of an Oxford degree or a medical qualification attributed to him on the CV.
The BSB, which regulates barristers in England and Wales, has powers to impose a range of sanctions if it finds breaches of the professional code, from reprimands and fines to suspension or disbarment. The tribunal will consider the evidence presented by both sides before reaching a decision. Any determination could have implications for Mohindru's standing at the Bar and his role within the cricket club.
Representatives of the Bar Standards Board and 23 Essex Chambers have declined further comment while proceedings are ongoing. The hearing is set to continue this week, with a timetable for witness testimony and submissions to be heard by the tribunal before it retires to consider its findings.