BENGALURU – A team of three lawyers from Bengaluru who had gone to Dharwad in north Karnataka to represent three Kashmiri students charged with sedition were heckled, shouted at and threatened on Monday, media reports said.
Talib Majeed, Basit Asif Sofi and Amir Mohiuddin Wani, studying at KLE Institute of Technology in Hubballi district of Karnataka were arrested last Saturday for allegedly raising pro-Pakistan slogans and posting a video on social media. The trio hailing from Shopian district of Valley were let off next day after they executed a bond under 169 CrPC. However, hours later they were rearrested after rightwing organisations staged protests against their release.
According to a report by News 18, the Bengaluru-based lawyers who were taken amid heavy security to the Dharwad court, came under attack and had to be taken away in the afternoon to the government’s Inspection Bungalow from the court.
Lawyers’ groups held a demonstration against them near the court, while local right-wing activists shouted slogans of ‘Go Back’ and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai.’
The report also adds that the vehicles of lawyers were also damaged when they reached the court. The lawyers had to return to Bengaluru as they were not able to file the bail applications on behalf of their clients after disruptions inside and outside the court, the report adds.
A lawyer, who was part of the team, told News 18 that they went to Hubli to collect the FIR and other documents, which they were able to do. They also met the president and secretary of the Hubli Bar Association to give their representation about a boycott call by the association and their stand on that.
“When they went to the Dharwad court where they had to file for bail for their clients, there were major disruptions that forced them to return empty-handed,” the report adds.
The incident happened despite heavy security being deployed to protect the lawyers from such attacks — the Karnataka High Court had issued the order in this regard. The HC had also slammed the Hubli Bar Association for passing a resolution that none of its members would represent or defend the students in court.
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