Srinagar, Aug 16: With the career of 14 Kashmiri students hanging in balance after they were arrested by Jammu police and booked under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act for staging peaceful demonstrations against killings in Kashmir, the Kashmir Bar Association on Monday has offered legal aid to them.
The parents of the arrested students accused the Jammu police of prolonging their detention under pressure of some Jammu based right wing political parties. “Our wards have been booked on frivolous charges and are being treated like criminals just for staging peaceful protests. When students are allowed to stage protests in Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai why not in Jammu. They are being implicated by Jammu police at the behest of communal parties just for being Kashmiris,” the aggrieved parents told Greater Kashmir from Jammu.
The parents accused some Jammu-based lawyers of delaying the perusal of their cases. “For five days they failed to get bails for our wards. Some lawyers even assaulted our wards in the Court premises today,” they alleged.
 They made a fervent appeal to the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah to intervene into the matter and ensure immediate release of their wards. “The Jammu police is bent upon spoiling their career. We hope that the CM will extend help to us to get justice,” they said.
 The vice-president of Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association, Ajaz Bedar said the Bar was ready to provide legal aid to the students.
 “I have talked to general secretary of Jammu High Court Bar Association and he has refuted that the Jammu Bar has passed any resolution not to provide legal aid to the Kashmiris students. In fact he told me that the lawyers were already pursuing the cases,” Bedar told Greater Kashmir.
 Bedar maintained that if the parents will face any difficulty they can take help of lawyers from the Valley.
 When contacted the General Secretary of Jammu High Court Bar Association, Rajesh Kumar Thappa termed the reports of denying legal aid to Kashmiri students as baseless. “It is the handiwork of some vested interests. We are committed to provide legal aid to every individual,” Thappa said.
 Sources said sensing the gravity of the situation, the senior officials have decided to take up the matter with the CM and DGP to facilitate the students release.
 Pertinently, the Kashmiri students were arrested on August 11 from the hostel of Acharya Shri Chander College of Medical Sciences (ASCOMS) for staging peaceful protests at the Jammu University.
 Reports said the Kashmiris students were protesting against the activists of some Jammu based parties who had torn their answer sheets a few days ago.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 16 Aug 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 17 Aug 2010 00:00:00 IST