new delhi: In a press conference organised in protest of the raids conducted by the Delhi Police at advocate Mehmood Prachas office on December 24, Justice BG Kolse Patil, former judge, Bombay High Court, senior advocate at Supreme Court Chander Uday Singh and advocate at Supreme Court Prashant Bhushan Wednesday said lawyers should hold demonstration against this. Addressing the media at Delhis Press Club of India said, "How can such an order be passed by a judge for searching the residence of a lawyer? How was all the computer data taken?" Going on to describe Prachas role in the aftermath of the north-east Delhi violence of February 2020, Bhushan said, "Mehmood Pracha is a prominent lawyer who has been defending several people accused of inciting violence during the riots, by the Delhi Police and its Special Cell. He has also been instrumental in getting FIRs registered against the Delhi Police for their one-sided and mala fide investigation resulting in framing the innocent and protecting those guilty in the riots. He has initiated other criminal proceedings against functionaries of the RSS and the BJP for their involvement in recent Delhi riots." Meanwhile, Justice Patil questioned why people were so scared. "I dont know why people are so scared now. Look at how we have handled the farmers issue," he said. Bhushan further said that the raid was fabricated if nothing else. "The police got access to Prachas computer, inserted devices to access and took away whatever information they wanted or could access from his computers, in an operation lasting for about 15 hours. "Though the search proceedings were videographed by the police, the video of the search operation has not been made available to Pracha, despite his request. Pracha has complained that the police officers who came for the search were threatening him by using the name of the Home Minister Amit Shah, and it is therefore imperative that the video recordings be furnished to him without delay," said Bhushan. The senior lawyers and judges asked lawyers and litigators to come forward and protest. "Supreme Court is not hearing urgent cases. There must be a demonstration against this. Why are courts not being reopened (virtual courts). We need protests," he added.

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