By Sumedha Mittal / News Laundry
At least five lawyers in Haryana’s Nuh district have alleged that they were harassed by police officials on the pretext of the police probe into the recent communal violence in the state.
Only two of these five lawyers were linked to legal cases pertaining to the Haryana violence, but they alleged that they had been targeted either because of their faith or their profession.
One of the five lawyers was arrested in an attempt to murder case. He was granted bail two weeks later, after the court observed that there was no evidence to suggest his participation in violence.
Four other lawyers were detained by the police, but they claimed that they were not even informed about the cases they were held for when the police came to detain them. Two of the four who were detained alleged that they were assaulted.
A peace committee, formed with around 30 lawyers part of the Mewat District Bar Association, has approached the Nuh SP in four of these cases, requesting the police to “not harass the lawyers”. A formal complaint has been submitted to the Haryana DGP over one of these four cases.
It is not clear whether the committee will seek action in the fifth case involving a lawyer who is not part of either the committee or the district bar association.
The committee has termed the police action as a “method to instill fear” among the lawyers, who are from the minority community.
Nuh Additional SP Usha Kundu has denied the allegations of the police targeting lawyers.
Newslaundry has sent a questionnaire to Nuh SP Narendra Bijarniya. This report will be updated if a response is received.
Newslaundry also reached out to Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Kapur. This report will be updated if a response is received.
The arrest and bail
Shahid Hussain, a 38-year-old lawyer, was arrested by the Palwal Special Task Force on August 13. He was booked in an FIR lodged at the Bichhor police station for an alleged attempt to murder and under section 25 of the Arms Act. The police probe alleged that Hussain was in Nuh’s Singar village when violence broke out on July 31, and “had made 100 calls to a person”.
But on September 2, Nuh Additional Sessions Judge Sandeep Kumar Duggal granted him bail. “No active participation in any violence neither there is any audio regarding his public speech or any instigation through the spot or through mobile,” the order read.
Hussain said that he had told the police that he was “merely passing by the Singar village” and that it was him who had informed the Bichhor police about the violence to seek action. “This is a targeted attack on lawyers to instill fear in us.”
This story was originally published in newslaundry.com. Read the full story here