Srinagar, June 15: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association (JKHCBA) Wednesday said they would approach court against the release of a Congress leader who was accused of assaulting a senior advocate.
 The JKHCBA said they would seek fresh investigation and re-arrest of the accused to bring him to justice. The accused is Budgam District President of Congress, Zahid Jan, and police had registered a case (FIR 53/2011) under sections 392 and 307 RPC (attempt to murder).
 The case was filed after the victim, Advocate Nazir Ahmad Malik, accused him of beating ruthlessly at TRC crossing Friday evening.
 According to Malik around 20 persons including renegades and PSOs of Zahid Jan swooped on him near the TRC entrance at around 7 pm Friday and he was beaten ruthlessly by gun butts and jack boots.
 However, Jan managed his release Monday evening from Kothibagh police station even though he was booked under non-bailable offences and court had refused to grant him anticipatory bail.
 “His charges were non-bailable. After court refused to give him bail, his charges were mutated and made bailable,” an official told Greater Kashmir.
 Following his release, JKHCBA held an emergency meeting and expressed serious concern over his release.
 “In the meeting it was held that appropriate legal action in the matter will be undertaken in order to ensure fair investigation in the matter and the culprits are brought to justice,” General Secretary JKHCBA, GN Shaheen told Greater Kashmir. “The Bar Association calls upon all concerned state authorities to allow the law to take its own course as nobody is above law,” he said.
 He said Bar observed that the release of the accused person has happened without recourse to the judicial process and the police ipso facto cannot bail out the accused person when the FIR is already registered in the matter.
 “We have submitted the FIR copy to the CJM Srinagar,” Shaheen said.
 He said the Bar is sure that the accused managed his release after political influence was exerted from certain quarters to defeat the course of justice.
 He said the accused were neither produced before court for remand nor did any bail application come forward on behalf of the accused persons to the information of the Bar Association and the victim.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 15 Jun 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 15 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 16 Jun 2011 00:00:00 IST