Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association (HCBA) Srinagar, on Friday said that it was surprised over the report submitted by the Bar Council of India before the Supreme Court saying that Kathua lawyers didn’t obstruct the Crime Branch.
The HCBA was reacting to the investigation and producing the police charge sheet against the accused involved in the kidnapping, rape and murder of an eight year old nomadic girl, before the CJM’s Court.
The Bar Council of India had submitted that nothing of the sort had happened and that the demand of Jammu and Kathua Bar Association seeking a CBI probe in the matter “appears to be justified”.
The Bar Association said that it feels that the fact finding team before submitting its report had neither gone through the press release of the Bar Association, Kathua, in which it had admitted that the agitation of the Bar had proved successful as it was because of it that the Crime Branch was compelled to go back and the challan could not be presented in the court.
The accused had to be presented before the CJM at his residence.
“The team, it appears, has also not seen the FIR registered by Kathua police against the Kathua lawyers, for preventing and obstructing the Crime Branch,” HCBA said.
“The team members have also not met the officials of the Crime Branch, who had gone to the court of CJM on that date to find out whether they were stopped and obstructed by the members of Kathua Bar Association in presenting the challan against the accused. The team members have also not considered the videography of the event which must have been available with the police,” HCBA added.
HCBA said that the members of the team should have been cautious and careful in submitting the report to the Supreme Court because as an autonomous body, it is obligatory on its part to lay down the standards of professional conduct and etiquette for lawyers.
“The report submitted by it is bound to embolden those lawyers, who have impeded the course of justice and will threaten a fair trial of the case,” HCBA said.
