Weeks after the Delhi Police raided the premises of Advocate Mehmood Pracha, who is representing many victims of the Northeast Delhi pogrom in February last year, the Delhi Police officials raided the office of the advocate again on February 9.
Pracha has called the raids an attempt to threaten, intimidate and frighten him. He has moved to Delhi Court against the latest round of raids at his office by Delhi Police.
The Delhi police special cell obtained a search warrant on March 4 from a court to seize computers from Pracha’s office.
The search warrant states, “This is to authorize and require the investigating officer of this case to search and seize the computer having primary evidence/documents which was identified on the previous search which is present at premises of Mr Mehmood Pracha.”
However, Pracha claimed that there was no information given to me about any search. They reached at the doorstep of my office without ‘politely informing’ me about it as stated by court.
He said, “The police officers raided at my office in my absence, they were aware about it as they knew that I was engaged in the undertaking a cross-examination of a special cell case. That is why I am directly approaching Court in this matter.”
The application against the recent search warrant posed by him is also a question about the proceedings of earlier raid being successful or not which is still pending.
“About a hundred police officials came to visit my office and take my computer today. I was not there, one of my clients told me. Then the officials called and said they had reached my office premises for a raid” as quoted by The Quint.
On 24 December, Pracha’s office was searched by Delhi Police Special Cell in the year 2020. Many advocated and activists voiced their concerns against the raid at his office calling the search a brazen violation of attorney-client privilege.
The Delhi police have alleged that Pracha is creating fabricated complaints for a victim of the Northeast Delhi pogrom that took place in February last year.
In the recent raid, Pracha claimed that this raid is deliberately done by the Delhi police in order to get a hold of his computer where the entire case-related information is secured. “Giving my computer will compromise the details of other clients who can be targeted by police later and I don’t want to put their lives at stake as they have already gone through a lot during Pogrom. I am not willing to give my computer as the information can be easily compromised,” he said.
The recent search warrant states, “This is to authorize investigation officer of this case to search for the said incrementing documents and Meta data of outbox of email ID, wherever there may be found whether in computer or in office premises of Shri Mehmood Pracha.”
However, Pracha has assured to abide by the Court orders and he will present the specific documents that are email, complaint, etc. ahead of the authorities that are allegedly drafted by him in order to leave no point to initiate another assault on the dignity and majesty of law under the guise of such search warrants.
On 25 December 2020, Pracha approached the Patiala House Court in Delhi seeking preservation of copies of the video footage of the raids conducted by Delhi police at his office. Later the preservation was done on the order of Magisterial Court.
The matter would be heard by Chief Metropolitan Magistrate in Patiala House Court tomorrow.
The search warrant also reads, “It is also directed that Ld Advocate be informed politely about the search proceedings to be carried out at his premises.”
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Ghazala Ahmad is the Delhi Correspondent for The Cognate.
