J&K Police Arrest Lawyer Fearing He Will Commit Offence

Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday said they have arrested a lawyer in north Kashmir’s Baramulla jail as they apprehend he may commit an offence.

“We have arrested the lawyer, Shabir Ahmad Bukhari. He was earlier associated with a militant outfit. We apprehend he might commit some offence. He has been booked under section 107 of Ranbir Penal Code” says a senior police official based in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district told Outlook. “The lawyer’s family knows about his arrest. His wife also knows”, the officer said.

Earlier, the High Court Bar Association had alleged that the lawyer had disappeared after being arrested by the police on May 12. General Secretary of the Bar, advocate G.N Shaheen said the lawyer is missing since his arrest by Jammu and Kashmir Police.

“It is an assault on judiciary and lawyers”, Shaheen said. He called the “arrest” as “illegal” and said the members of the bar abstained from appearing before the Courts including the High Court in protest against the arrest. Shaheen alleged Bukhari was "reported to have been called on telephone" by a top police officer  to present himself before him by 2:00 p.m. May 12. He alleges the advocate voluntarily presented himself before the police and since then “his whereabouts are not known.” The Bar has sought immediate and safe release of the advocate.

But the police rejected charges of the Bar. “The lawyer was in our proper custody. He was never missing and he was not called by any top police official. This is a lie,” the police official said.