Thaindian News

New Delhi, Jan 18 (IANS) Lawyers across north India will observe a day’s strike Monday to protest amendments in the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) that no longer make it mandatory to arrest someone charged with an offence punishable with up to seven years in jail.In a meeting attended by various bar associations of Delhi, the National Capital Region (NCR) and other adjoining areas earlier this week, the Federation of Bar Associations of NCR and adjoining areas announced that bar associations in north India will observe a strike Jan 19.

It was also decided that all bar associations of the country will observe a strike Feb 3.

Earlier, lawyers abstained from work Jan 7 and 14 against the amendment in the CrPC, paralyzing work in the courts.

“The 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,” spokesperson for the strikers’ coordination committee Rajiv Khosla said.

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

The lawyers association has also sent a memorandum seeking withdrawal of the amendments to the president and the home minister.

“Harbouring of an offender of cases like the Mumbai terror attacks and Batla House encounter and selling of counterfeit stamp like in the Telgi scam would incur no arrest and the police would have the liberty not to arrest offenders under the Prevention of Corruption Act,” Khosla said.