“This is nothing. The police want to stop me raising the role of police in the riot. When DCP himself is an accused in the case, how can he level allegations against the advocate? It is because of my efforts that several RSS activists were arrested. I have been contesting a number of cases of the riot victims. Instead of registering cases against the BJP leaders, the police are levelling allegations against me. Actually, Amit Shah wants to eliminate me. Let him eliminate. I will not leave the case”, Pracha says.
Syed Ali Ahmed | India Tomorrow
NEW DELHI, AUGUST 24—Though a city court on Saturday (August 22) ordered to probe against senior advocate Mahmood Pracha after Delhi police submitted a report citing a Northeast Delhi riot victim’s statement in which he allegedly leveled allegations against the counsel, the advocate denied the allegations.
Mahmood Pracha said that police wanted to stop him talking against it and the government by levelling allegations. He is contesting the case of many riot victims and is vocal against the police.
The police in the court said that Pracha asked a riot the victim, Ali, to depose falsely.
The police in its report said that Ali had falsely named three persons-Navneet, Deepak and Mintu-on Pracha’s instructions. He was also asked by Pracha to identify an eyewitness named Sharif who was a witness in another case.
According to police report, Ali alleged that Pracha told him Sharif’s statement would make his case stronger for which he would have to depose that Sharif had seen his shop burning. But Ali said that he did not know Sharif or had seen Sharif ever so there was no question of claiming that he had seen Sharif while rioters were burning his shop on February 24.
The police report also mentioned that Ali’s affidavit was signed by an advocate who supposedly died in 2017.
Denying these allegations Pracha said, “When police asked the victim about the accused and the eyewitness, what is wrong if the victim mentioned the names of the accused and the eyewitness. Where is the advocates role in all this?
As far as affidavit is concerned, this is done by the client himself. A number of notaries are sitting in the court. They charge money for preparing the affidavits and getting them signed. The advocates do not do this.
Pracha said, “This is nothing. The police want to stop me raising the role of police in the riot. When DCP himself is an accused in the case, how can he level allegations against the advocate? It is because of my efforts that several RSS activists were arrested. I have been contesting a number of cases of the riot victims.
Instead of registering cases against the BJP leaders, the police are levelling allegations against me. Actually, Amit Shah wants to eliminate me. Let him eliminate. I will not leave the case”.
He alleged, “Actually this order is illegal. The magistrate called the advocate of one side. I should have also been issued notice to put my point of view. Had I been called, I would have given the reply of the police allegations.”
Additional Session Judge Vinod Yadav on Saturday directed the Delhi police’s Special Cell or Crime Branch to probe allegations against the advocate who allegedly “tutored victims to give false statement” in the northeast Delhi riots cases. The court passed the order after police submitted a report, citing a riot victim’s statement, in which he claimed he was asked to depose falsely by advocate Mahmood Pracha.
The Judge ordered police commissioner to issue directions to Special Cell or Crime Branch to probe the allegations against Pracha.
