E-Paper
Police arrest advocate over ‘fake’ degree, Delhi lawyers protest
Delhi Police on Tuesday night arrested a 30-year-old advocate practising at Karkardooma court on charges of forging his degree and fraudulently enrolling himself with the Bar Council of Delhi (BCD)
Delhi Police on Tuesday night arrested a 30-year-old advocate practising at Karkardooma court on charges of forging his degree and fraudulently enrolling himself with the Bar Council of Delhi (BCD). In protest, lawyers in the Capital’s seven district courts called for a strike on Wednesday and abstained from work, accusing the police of “wilfully” defying the BCD and not intimating them about the arrest.
Deputy commissioner of police (Shahdara) R Sathiyasundaram said the accused has been identified as Sumit Sharma, a resident of Karkardooma village.
Police said one Jai Prakash Gupta, a resident of Anand Vihar who is the complainant in the case, had filed an application with the Dr BR Ambedkar University in Uttar Pradesh under the Right To Information Act regarding the genuineness of Sharma’s Bachelors of Law degree.
“In the reply he got from the university, it was written that said advocate Sumit Sharma has passed only first year of law in 2010 from Vrindavan Law College in Mathura which is affiliated to the Dr BR Ambedkar University and has been shown failed in the second year in 2012 and third year in 2013,” Sathiyasundaram said.
Based on Gupta’s complaint, a case on charges of cheating and forgery was registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code at Anand Vihar police station and an investigation was taken up, police said.
During the probe, it was found that Sharma had prepared forged mark sheets of his second and third year of law and he used these forged documents, he enrolled himself in the Bar Council of Delhi (BCD) and obtained enrolment number. He was then arrested in the case, police said.
In response to Sharma’s arrest, the co-ordination Committee of the Delhi District Courts called for a strike, seeking action against the police officials involved in the arrest.
“In an emergency consultations on mobiles with Co Chairperson, spokesman & available Members, it is decided that all the district courts bar associations to observe abstain from work on October 12 due to arbitrary & illegal action of SHO Anand Vihar/ DCP Shahdara by encroaching upon the jurisdiction of Bar Council of Delhi (BCD) and illegally arresting Sumit Sharma on the allegations of forged & fabricated Law Degree,” a statement issued by ON Sharma, secretary of the coordination committee, said.
The committee further said that Sharma’s degree was verified as “genuine”, and the information was also given to the Anand Vihar police station SHO and ACP on September 2, where it was categorically mentioned that if there is any issue pertaining to the same, it must be processed through BCD.
“…However SHO Anand Vihar & DCP Shahdra intentionally and wilfully defied the BCD instructions letter of September 2, 2022 and went on to arrest the accused,” said the statement.
Advocate Dhir Singh Kasana, a practicing lawyer and former officer bearer of the Saket Bar Association, said lawyers and judges fully cooperated with the strike despite the late call.
Advocate KC Mittal, who is a former chairman of the BCD, said police exceeded their jurisdiction by making the arrest and should have waited for the bar council to take appropriate action.
Speaking to HT, ON Sharma said that Sumit Sharma was arrested without any intimation to the BCD, adding that he was locked inside the police station and treated like a “terrorist”.
“Several office bearers of the Karkardooma Bar Association and lawyers were present at the police station. However, the police locked the station and treated our colleague like a terrorist after arresting him illegally and arbitrarily. I called the DCP and additional DCP, however, none of them responded… We are concerned that the BCD instructions have been defied wilfully and intentionally…,” he said.
According to police records, a case was registered against Sumit Sharma in 2015 on charges of house trespass and criminal intimidation, and one case was registered against him on charges of gang rape and other sections of the Indian Penal Code in May this year.
