New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS) Lawyers in the National Capital Region (NCR) went on a day-long strike Wednesday to demand withdrawal of amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). With the amendments, it is no longer mandatory to arrest someone charged with an offence punishable with up to seven years in jail.The decision to go on strike was taken in a meeting of the coordination committee of bar associations of Delhi and various lawyers’ associations of the NCR.

Advocates across the region, which includes the towns of Faridabad, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad, Noida, Moradabad, Bulandshahr and Alwar, are on strike.

Rajiv Khosla, spokesperson for the strikers’ coordination committee, told reporters: “The proposed amendment removing mandatory arrest provisions in the offences punishable with imprisonment up to seven years would remove fear from the minds of criminals, who will misuse the provisions under the garb of personal liberty.”

The bar associations of five district courts had Jan 7 observed a strike to oppose the amendments.

The advocates also disapproved the Limited Liability Partnership Bill, claiming it was aimed at allowing the backdoor entry of foreign lawyers into the country.