The Supreme Court will take up on 30 July the hearing of the report submitted by the fact-finding team of Bar Council of India (BCI) over the conduct of Jammu lawyers in obstructing the Crime Branch (CB) to file charge sheet in the brutal rape and murder case of an eight year nomadic girl of Rasana in Kathua court. SC will also hear the reply filed by Bar Association Jammu (BAJ) over the contempt petition notice issued by the apex court, as per sources.
The Supreme Court had sent a five member team of BCI to find out as to why the lawyers obstructed the Crime Branch (CB) from filing the charge sheet in Kathua rape and murder case in Kathua court.
The five member team visited Jammu on April 19 and visited Kathua, Rasana and Jammu. The BCI team comprising of chief Tarun Aggarwal, BCI co-chairmen S Prabakaran and Ramachandra G Shah, and members Razia Beig of the Bar Council of Uttrakhand and Naresh Dikshit, an advocate, was also tasked to compile a report as to why BAJ was on strike due to which work in different courts remained badly affected. In this regard, the Supreme Court had also issued a contempt petition notice against Bar Association Jammu.
The Bar Association was on strike demanding deportation of Rohingya, withdrawal of minutes of the meeting of Tribal Affairs Department besides CBI inquiry over the Rasana case. The BCI team interacted with the members of Bar Association Jammu in a full house meeting and sought their viewpoint as to “why the Bar was on strike thus affecting the court workings badly”.
In Kathua, the BCI team held a closed door meeting with Bar members and listened to their viewpoint as to “why and whether they obstructed the CB from filing the charge sheet”.
The hearing will be taken up by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Deepak Mishra on July 30. “Kathua Bar has already filed its reply over allegations of obstructing CB from filing the charge sheet,” said a source.
“The Bar Association Jammu has submitted its reply in the Supreme Court,” said BS Slathia, President Bar Association Jammu. “The BAJ will be represented in the Supreme Court by President of Supreme Court Bar Association, VK Singh”.
SC to take up BCI report on conduct of Jammu lawyers in Kathua case
