Bar boycotts court in Gandhinagar

GANDHINAGAR - The Gandhinagar Bar Association has announced an indefinite boycott of court proceedings following the arrest of a lawyer three days ago, its president said here Friday.

Ajitsinh Gohil told IANS the boycott came Thursday after lawyer Deepaba Parmar was arrested by the police on charges of making a false identification. She had identified a signatory in a power of attorney document related to some land.

The notary Govind Patel, who notarised the document, is absconding, along with other accused in the case.

Parmar, who had identified these people on guarantee of a person known to her, was arrested and is in judicial custody.

Lawyers of the Bar Association said Parmar’s arrest was to “pressurise” the absconding accused.

Senior advocate P.P. Bihola had made representations before a district judge in this regard and sought bail for his client Parmar who is also an advocate. The case was referred to another judge who sent her to judicial custody.

Chairman of Gujarat Bar Council’s discipline committee Anil Kella said the lawyers of the Gandhinagar Bar Association should make representations with evidence before a unit judge in the high court.

He said they should also make representations with evidence before Law Minister Amit Shah if they have complaints and allegations against the judicial officers.

When asked about responsibility of a lawyer in identifying the signatories, Kella said a Supreme Court judgment states that there is no responsibility of a lawyer in identification of signatories. However, further comment can only be made after looking at the case papers, he added.