Another strike: Lawyers to stay away from Delhi, NCR courts

Work in district courts in Delhi and NCR is likely to be hit tomorrow with lawyers announcing yet another strike demanding withdrawal of the proposed amendments in the CrPC which allow the police not to arrest an accused in offences punishable upto 7-year jail.

Work in district courts in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) is likely to be hit tomorrow with lawyers announcing yet another strike demanding withdrawal of the proposed amendments in the CrPC which allow the police not to arrest an accused in offences punishable upto 7-year jail.

HT Image

This would be the second strike in districts courts over the issue in the last two weeks. Lawyers had struck work on January 7 as well.

A meeting of the Co-Ordination Committee All Bar Associations of Delhi as well as other districts of the NCR and adjoining area was recently organised at Tis Hazari courts here where a decision to go on strike was taken.

The advocates of 24 bar associations including that of Ghaziabad, Noida, Moradabad, Bulandshahr and Alwar would abstain from court on Janaury 14, Rajiv Khosla, spokesperson of the Co-Ordination Committee told PTI.

"The proposed amendment removing mandatory arrest provisions in the offences punishable upto seven years would remove the fear from minds of criminals who will misuse the provisions under the garb of personal liberty," the bar leaders said.

They said that after notification of the amendments, there could be no arrest even in cheating cases like Satyam scam.

Harbouring of an offender of cases like Mumbai Terror Attacks and Batla House encounter and selling of counterfeit stamp like in Telgi scam would incur no arrest, they said, adding that the police would have the liberty not to arrest offenders under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Five district courts bar association had earlier on January 7 also observed a strike to oppose the proposed amendments in the Criminal Procedure Code.