Including student activist Gulfisha Fatima, who has been charged under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Mr Pracha represents several accused in the riots case.
Office of an advocate in Delhi was raided by the Delhi Police on Thursday. The lawyer allegedly tutored people to give false statements in cases linked to the riots over the amended citizenship law in the national capital in February, NDTV reported.
The lawyer, Mehmood Pracha, forged an affidavit signed by another lawyer who died three years ago, according to the police. The police said that Mr Pracha also instructed people who suffered in the Delhi riots to give false statements.
“I will not back off. They cannot suppress the rule of law in India so easily,” Mr Pracha told NDTV, adding the allegations against him are false.
“The complaint is a false one. The complaint says an affidavit was attested by a fake notary public. It takes some ₹ 20-30 to get an affidavit attested. And no lawyer goes to get the affidavit attested. Clients only go, and sometimes clerks also go. Why would a person like me to save ₹ 10-15 go to person who’s charging ₹ 10 instead of ₹ 30?” he said.
“And it is the responsibility of the police and the government that people who are sitting as notary public are correct notary public,” the lawyer told NDTV.
Senior lawyers have condemned the raid of the lawyer.
Senior lawyer Indira Jaising tweeted: “The raids on Mahmood Pracha Lawyer for the defence in the Delhi riots case is a direct attack on the fundamental right of the right to legal representation, all lawyers must condemn this attack.”
The raids on Mahmood Pracha Lawyer for the defence in the Delhi riots case is a direct attack on the fundamental right of the right to legal representation , all lawyers must condemn this attack
— Indira Jaising (@IJaising) December 24, 2020
Another lawyer, Karuna Nundy, tweeted, “By seizing Adv Mehmood Pracha’s computers for particular emails, police will get a lot of data that’s protected by attorney client privilege. This goes to the heart of rule of law. Lawyers must stand up for Adv Pracha as much as for Adv P. Bhushan.”
Including student activist Gulfisha Fatima, who has been charged under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Mr Pracha represents several accused in the riots case.
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