By TwoCircles.net staff reporter,
Lucknow: Taking serious note of attack on lawyers representing Muslims accused of terrorism incidents in Uttar Pradesh, the state government has decided to shift hearing of terrorism cases in a special court to be constituted in Lucknow district jail.
This assurance was given on September 3 by the state government to the Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court. Appearing on behalf of the state government Advocate General Jyotinder Mishra also informed the court that district SSP has been ordered to provide security to the lawyers representing Muslim terrorism suspects in the state, says a report in Rashtriya Sahara.
The court was hearing on a writ by lawyers Mohammad Shoaib, AM Faridi and Hamid Iqbal. The petition was filed by senior advocates Zafaryab Jilani and Mushtaque Ahmad Siddiqui.
The state government told the court that a notification to set up special court in district jail has been issued and Police administration has been instructed to provide security to the lawyers representing such cases.
Advocates Mohammad Shoaib and AM Faridi are representing the cases in which some madrasa graduates have been made accused of plotting bombings in court premises in the state last year.
On August 12 and 13 advocates Mohammad Shoaib, AM Faridi and Rizwan were beaten by some lawyers in Lucknow civil court. Shoaib was dragged out of his chamber and beaten. On August 14 they attacked Faridi but he was saved by some senior Muslim lawyers including Zafaryab Jilani.
The bar associations have banned lawyers from representing Muslim terrorism suspects. But Shoaib and Faridi ignored the ban. The August 12-13 incident was described by many other lawyers as mere goondaism.
Rather than taking action against the lawyers guilty of beating their colleagues, the Lucknow Bar Association (LBA) on August 19 expelled lawyers Shoaib and Faridi who are representing terror suspects in UP courts.
LBA also demanded expulsion of Zafaryab Jilani from the Oudh Bar Association.