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`Withdraw move to amend Criminal Procedure Code'

By Our Staff Reporter

VELLORE Dec.9. Lawyers boycotted courts here on Tuesday, protesting the proposed amendments to be introduced to the Criminal Procedure Code (Cr.P.C.).

Members of the various associations including the Bar Association, Vellore, the Advocates Association, Vellore and the District Bar Association, Vellore staged a demonstration in front of the combined court complex premises, raising slogans asking the Centre to withdraw the move to the introduce the amendments and to reject the recommendations of the Justice Mallimath Committee on the basis of which the amendments were to be introduced.

One of the main reasons for the lawyers' protest against the proposed amendments was that they sought to remove the benefit of the doubt, which was available to the accused under the existing law.

As against the existing provisions of the Cr.P.C. which stated that a crime had to be proved beyond doubt to warrant conviction, the amendment placed the onus of proof of innocence on the accused, which the lawyers felt, would lead to miscarriage of justice.

Our Special Correspondent from Cuddalore reports:

The members of the Cuddalore Bar Association abstained from the courts today, and also took out a procession to voice their protest.

The procession led by the Association secretary, U.Jayabalan, started from the court complex here and ended at the head post office, where a demonstration was held. The others who participated on the occasion included the president of Criminal Lawyers' Association, Sundaramurthy, president of the Parangipettai Lawyers' Association, V.K.Jayapal, and others.

Memorandum

Our Pondicherry Staff Reporter reports:

Members of the Pondicherry Bar Association staged a rally here today and later submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister, N. Rangasamy, registering their protest against the proposed amendments to the Cr.PC.

The memorandum said the recommendation to effect amendment to section 25 of Indian Evidence Act would confer enormous powers on the police to `possibly foist false cases and extract confessions by inflicting torture on the innocent persons and use such statements as proof of evidence in the court,' These amendments would only give way for inclusion of stringent provisions into the Cr.P.C. and the Indian Evidence Act.

`The criminal legislations would be converted into mini POTA if the recommendations were enforced' it said.

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