Jammu Bar refutes allegation in meeting with Bar Council
It was apprised to the team that I never instigated Jammu youth for resorting to violence during Jammu bandh on April 11. The people of Jammu voluntarily supported the bandh. BS SLATHIA, J&K High Court Bar Association president
: A Bar Council of India (BCI) team on Friday met the representatives of the Bar Association of Jammu (BAJ) who refuted allegations that the lawyer of the Kathua rape and murder victim was prevented from appearing in court by fellow advocates.
A five-member fact-finding committee of the Bar Council of India is visiting here to find out the truth behind the Kathua rape and murder case and the role of lawyers after this issue came to light.
On Thursday evening the BCI team had visited the Rassana area, met with the victim’s kin and agitating people of the area, who were demanding a CBI probe into the incident.
Last week, after direction from Supreme Court, the Bar Council of India had constituted a committee headed by former high court chief justice Tarun Agarwal to visit Kathua and Jammu.
It learnt that the committee also met the lawyers in Kathua, who were accused of obstructing the crime branch team from filing the chargesheet in the case on April 9.
The lawyers apprised the panel that they only lodged a protest against the inquiry carried out by crime branch and never prevented it from presenting the challan in the case.
JAMMU BAR SETS RECORD STRAIGHT
Meanwhile, J&K High Court Bar Association president BS Slathia said, “Around a 1,000 lawyers were present during the open house meeting with the BCI panel. We presented our view to the panel and gave a clarification on a few issues. We (Jammu Bar) never objected to lawyer Deepika Rajawat from representing the victim. She (Deepika) was even present during the case hearing on April 9 and 11 and no one intimated or threatened her. It seems that the allegations against me and the Bar were just to gain quick media publicity.”
“It was apprised to the panel that I never instigated Jammu youth for resorting to violence during Jammu bandh on April 11. The people of Jammu voluntarily and peacefully supported the Bandh and no untoward incident was reported from anywhere,” added Slathia.
“The lawyers in one voice have demanded a CBI probe into the case for a free and impartial probe as they do not trust the investigation carried out by the crime branch, which had many lacunas,” he added.
The BCI will place its report before the apex court in the coming week.
The girl’s body was recovered from Rassana forest in Kathua on January 17, a week after she went missing.
Last week, the crime branch investigating the case had filed a chargesheet against eight persons including a juvenile for their alleged role in the rape and murder of the eight-year-old tribal girl.
Jammu region has been on the edge since this brutal incident came to light. The bar associations have been opposing the investigation carried out by local crime branch for being lopsided and a deliberate attempt to target the minority Dogras.