Thaindian News

New Delhi, Feb 18 (ANI): Lawyers stayed away from courts in New Delhi for the second consecutive day on Wednesday to protest against the new provision in the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) that allows police to go by discretion to arrest the accused in an offence punishable up to seven-year-jail term.
The call for the nationwide strike of lawyers was given last month following a decision in a meeting of different bar associations in New Delhi.
This is the sixth time that the lawyers in Capital have decided not to appear in courts to demand scrapping of what they call “anti-people and anti-social” amendments in the Criminal Procedure Code.
“There is complete strike across the country,” said Rajiv Khosla, spokesperson of the Co-ordination Committee All Bar Association of Delhi.
The Delhi High Court Bar Association office-bearers including its President and Secretary have also decided to sit on a hunger strike in support of their counterparts” demands.
The bar leaders fear that the proposed amendment doing away with the mandatory arrest provisions in the offences punishable up to seven years would remove fear from minds of criminals who would misuse the provisions under the garb of personal liberty.
According to the proposed amendments in the Act, which received the President of India’’s assent, no arrest would be required for cognisable offences such as molestation, dowry harassment and attempt to robbery, prescribing maximum punishment of seven years” jail term. (ANI)