IAPL

Mumbai, Sep 4 (UNI) Two civil rights organisations today moved the Bombay High Court seeking criminal contempt proceedings against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray for allegedly threatening lawyers if they defended the July 11 serial blasts accused.

The petition filed by Indian Association of People's Lawyers (IAPL) and the Committee for the Protection of Democratic Rights (CPDR) will come up for hearing before a division bench of the High Court in due course.

The petition was filed after Maharashtra Advocate General Ravi Kadam gave his consent to initiate proceedings against Mr Thackeray under the Contempt of Court Act.

Mr Thackeray had allegedly warned lawyers against defending the accused in the blast case during a meeting on July 16 to condole the July 11 serial blasts victims.

Adv P A Sebastian, representing the CPDR, while talking to UNI alleged that in the meeting, Mr Thackeray had threatened to stage protests against such lawyers. ''We feel that such statements tantamount to interfering with the judicial process and would intimidate lawyers and deter them from appearing for the accused,'' he said.

Meanwhile, on August 14, Advocate General Kadam, while giving his consent to the petitioner, held that he was satisfied that Mr Thackeray's statement prima facie amounts to criminal contempt of court and can be proceeded against for contempt of court.

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