New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir’s lawyers who had obstructed the filing of charge sheet in the Kathua rape and murder case, the Supreme Court, taking action against them directed the Bar Council of India to submit a report of the conduct of these lawyers with three days.
The Apex Court was hearing a petition concerning the conduct of members from Jammu High Court Bar association and Kathua District Bar association who had obstructed the case process, New Indian Express reported.
The bench was headed by CJI, gave the order which read: “Bar Council of India Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra says BCI has formed a committee with a retired judge of the High Court as its head. They shall go to Jammu and Kathua and submit a report within three days.”
“We are only concerned with a fair trial. They went on strike. That is wrong. Rule of law stands on the highest pedestal. Not just this case. We are concerned with other cases too. This should not happen in any case. All of you file affidavits”, the CJI said.
When the counsel for the Jammu High Court Bar Association submitted that the Bar association had lent no support to the lawyers who protested against the filing of charge sheet in the Kathua rape case followed by a strike.
The CJI responding to the counsel said regardless of the background, the lawyers protests followed by the strike was incorrect. “Whatever may be the background (of the protest), the resultant action was wrong,” Justice Misra said.
The counsel also assured that the protesting lawyers will no longer be a hindrance in the trial of the victim from the bakrawal community in Jammu’s Hiranagar area. The court scheduled the case hearing on April 26.
The victim’s family and the lawyers appearing for the victim’s family were reportedly receiving death threats when the victim’s father filed a plea in the court seeking transfer of the trial outside the state.
The court had then issued a notice to the state of J&K directing the state to provide protection to the victim’s family and their lawyers.