COURTESY HT DEC 26

Court asks for footage of police raid on lawyer appearing in riots cases
Richa Banka

letters@hindustantimes.com

New Delhi : A Delhi court on Friday ordered the Special Cell of Delhi Police to produce the entire video footage of the raid conducted at the office of Mehmood Pracha, a lawyer associated with multiple cases in connection with the north-east Delhi riots who has alleged the police action was aimed at preventing him from getting justice for those affected by the violence.

The court also directed the Investigating Officer to submit a status report on investigations against Pracha, who is being probed in an FIR relating to the alleged use of forged documents on judicial record in one of the riots matters. Citing a victim’s statement, police have also accused Pracha of tutoring victims to give false statements in riot-related cases – a charge he denies.

Several senior legal experts have contended that the action by the police could amount to a breach of attorney-client privilege given the related cases Pracha is appearing in, and described it as an attempt to create pressure on lawyers fighting for the rights of several riots victims and accused.