Delhi Riots 2020: Lawyer Mehmood Pracha Denies Accusations Against Him
New Delhi:
The office of a lawyer in Delhi who allegedly instructed people to make false statements in cases related to the riots over the citizenship law amended in the national capital in February was raided by Delhi police on Thursday.
The lawyer, Mehmood Pracha, falsified an affidavit signed by another lawyer who died three years ago, police said. Pracha also instructed people who suffered in the Delhi riots to make false statements, police said.
“I will not back down. They cannot suppress the rule of law in India so easily,” Pracha told NDTV, adding that the accusations against him are false.
“The complaint is false. The complaint says that an affidavit was certified by a fake notary public. It takes Rs 20-30 for an affidavit to be certified. And no lawyer is going to get the affidavit. Clients just go , and sometimes the employees also go. Why would a person like me to save Rs 10-15 go to the person who charges Rs 10 instead of Rs 30? “said Mr. Pracha.
“And it is the responsibility of the police and the government that people who feel like notaries public are correct notaries public,” the lawyer told NDTV.
The police investigation began after a city court asked the police chief to allow the Special Cell of the Crimes Section to investigate the allegations against the lawyer. The Special Cell then submitted a First Information Report (FIR) and went to the attorney’s office for registration.
Mr. Pracha represents several defendants in the riot case, including student activist Gulfisha Fatima, who has been charged under the strict Prevention of Illegal Activities Act.
Several lawyers have condemned the police action against Pracha as “motivated”.
“The raids against Mahmood Pracha Advocate for the defense in the case of the Delhi riots is a direct attack on the fundamental right of the right to legal representation, all lawyers must condemn this attack”, tweeted lawyer Indira Jaising.
The raids against Mahmood Pracha Advocate for the defense in the case of the Delhi riots is a direct attack on the fundamental right of the right to legal representation, all lawyers must condemn this attack.
– Indira Jaising (@IJaising) Dec 24, 2020
Another lawyer, Karuna Nundy, tweeted: “By seizing Adv Mehmood Pracha’s computers for private emails, the police will get a lot of data that is protected by attorney-client privilege. This goes to the heart of the rule of law. lawyers must defend Adv Pracha as well as Adv P. Bhushan. “
“There seems to be a serious attack on the right of representation, but also on the right to attorney-client privilege. If you have your hard drive, not only do you have your private emails, you also have all kinds of documents from other clients. what happened here is very serious, “Ms Nundy told NDTV.
In February, just a month before the pandemic began to close, community violence over the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) had erupted in Delhi among groups supporting and opposing the law promising citizenship to citizens. non-Muslim refugees from three neighboring countries, widely. seen as discriminatory. The government maintains that the CAA does not discriminate against anyone.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with US President Donald Trump just a few miles away, parts of the city were plunged into violence and widespread clashes, arson and stoning took place that left 53 dead, at least 200 injured and hundreds homeless.
In September, 15 people, all linked to the protests against the CAA and none from the campaign in its favor, were named by the police in a comprehensive charge sheet filed for the riots.
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