Northeast Delhi violence case: Delhi court stays search warrant against Mehmood Pracha

A Delhi court on Wednesday put a stay on the search operation warrant issued against lawyer Mehmood Pracha in connection with the alleged use of forged documents in judicial records in last year's Northeast Delhi violence case.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pankaj Sharma also reserved the order on the plea filed by Pracha against the search conducted by Delhi Police on its office premise on Tuesday. The court will pronounce its order on Friday.

Pracha had moved the Delhi court on Tuesday, urging the court to issue a direction to the Investigating Officer (IO) to require the applicant to produce the computers they are seeking.

Pracha, said in his plea, that the demand of the Delhi Police for the hard disks of any of the computers of the applicant is illegal and unjustified, especially since the specific documents, etc. are already in their possession from the previous searches.

Pracha further said he himself would volunteer to present the identified computers before the court and the IO may obtain whatever he wishes to, and whatever is permitted by this court, from the said computers.

"It should be done in the court, so that the police will not able to play any mischief, while, at the same time, the court will also ensure that the object of the search warrant is also satisfied," he said in the plea.

Earlier, the Delhi Police had alleged that Pracha had forged documents and instigated a man to depose falsely in a case related to the violence in north-east Delhi in February 2020.

The lawyer has been representing various accused and complainants in the case. Several cases were registered in connection with the north-east Delhi violence, in which at least 53 people were killed and several others were injured last year.

( With inputs from ANI )