The Hindu : National : Raj Thackeray warning upsets lawyers

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Tuesday, Aug 01, 2006

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National

Raj Thackeray warning upsets lawyers

Special Correspondent

Organisations plan to file a criminal contempt petition against him

MUMBAI: The Indian Association of People's Lawyers (IAPL) and the Committee for the Protection of Democratic Rights (CPDR) are planning to file a criminal contempt petition against Raj Thackeray, president of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), for issuing a warning that no lawyers should defend the accused in the July 11 Mumbai bomb blasts case.

At a condolence meeting on July 16, Mr. Thackeray said his party would also organise protests against such lawyers and make it difficult for them to "move around Mumbai."

Interference

The two organisations said Mr. Thackeray's statements "interfered with the administration of justice and tended to lower the authority of the court in the eyes of the public." On Monday, they wrote to Advocate-General of Maharashtra Ravi Kadam, seeking his permission, as required under Section 15 (1) (b) of the Contempt of Courts Act 1971, to file a criminal contempt petition in the Bombay High Court.

They urged Mr. Kadam to act promptly as several persons had been arrested allegedly in connection with the blasts.

If immediate and stringent measures were not taken to curtail such an "extra-judicial and extra-constitutional act" on Mr. Thackeray's part, lawyers might feel threatened to appear for the accused.

This would deprive the accused of their right to a fair trial and legal representation of their choice, both of which were fundamental rights guaranteed to an accused under the Constitution.

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