UP Lawyer Thrashed Over Legal Aid To Cleric Who "Opposed National Anthem"
GORAKHPUR: A group of lawyers allegedly beat up a fellow advocate on Thursday in Maharajganj for taking up a case involving a madrasa even as a local bar association expelled him and another colleague over the same issue.
The civil court bar association of Maharajganj district said it has ended the membership of the two lawyers for lifetime for giving legal help those accused of preventing children from singing the national anthem at the madrasa on Independence Day.
The bar association has also sent an application to the district judge for cancellation of the space allotted to both the advocates, the association president said.
No case has been filed so far but one of the two lawyers said he will approach the police for registration of a First Information Report or FIR on Friday.
On August 15, a cleric, Mohammad Junaid Ansari, who was not a staff member of Madrasa Arabia Ahle Girls College, situated in Badago area under Kolhui police station, allegedly prevented students from singing the national anthem after the flag-hoisting by madrasa principal Faizlurrehman.
After a video of the incident went viral on the social media, police arrested him and two other persons under Section 124-A (Sedition ), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integrity), Prevention of Insult to National Honour Act 1971, Criminal Law Amendment Act and IT Act.
Protesting over the incident, the bar association of Maharajganj had decided that no advocate of the district will give legal aid to the accused.
"The decision was taken at a bar association meeting on August 18 for not giving legal aid to the accused, but two lawyers Manoj Singh and Mainuddin Ansari went against the decision for which their membership has been ended for lifetime," said Jagdish Patel, the president of the civil bar association, Maharajganj.
"A copy of the action against them has been sent to the Uttar Pradesh Bar association. An application has been sent to the district judge for the cancellation of allotment of sitting place of the two in the court campus," Patel said.
He, however, did not respond to questions regarding the beating up one of the lawyers by a mob.
Reacting to the bar association decision, Advocate Manoj Singh said everyone has the right to get legal aid and by representing the accused, he was doing his duty.
"It is a fundamental right of a person to get legal aid and I was just doing my duty. When a Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab could get legal aid, why couldn't they?" Mr Singh said.
He, however, said he was not informed about the bar association decision on not giving legal aid to the accused in the said case.
Mr Singh also claimed that a group of lawyers beat up Ansari for providing legal aid to an accused in the case.
"I was working inside the court so they (the lawyers) were not able to touch me but they have beaten Mainuddin Ansari for giving legal aid to another accused in the case. On Friday, after identifying all the lawyers, I will lodge an FIR," he said.
courtesy : ndtv.com
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
