New Delhi: Court deplore ‘wild allegations’ against public prosecutor

New Delhi : A Delhi court has strongly criticised Advocate Mehmood Pracha for making wild and unsupported accusations against Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad in the 2020 national capital riots case.

Pracha, representing one of the accused in the Delhi riots larger conspiracy case, alleged that Prasad had taken money in cash from the Delhi Police based on a private investigation.

Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat said that the court does not wish to interfere in these allegations, urging Pracha to take appropriate action if deemed necessary. The court expressed disapproval of the baseless claims, stating that they were unrelated to the merits of the case.

Pracha represents accused Tasleem Ahmed in FIR 59 of 2020, registered by Delhi Police’s Special Cell under the Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

During Ahmed’s bail hearing in August, Pracha made personal allegations against Prasad, prompting vehement opposition from the Special Public Prosecutor. In response, Prasad insisted that, due to the gravity of the allegations, he could not continue as the Special Public Prosecutor in the case.

He challenged Pracha to provide evidence to substantiate the serious accusations against his integrity, including the affidavit of the private investigator.

Furthermore, Prasad raised concerns about a conflict of interest, noting that Pracha had been mentioned by a protected witness in his statement. The court left this issue open for the prosecutor or the Bar Council of Delhi to consider or take action if deemed necessary.

Despite the conflict of interest allegations, the accused Ahmed insisted on being represented by Pracha. The court acknowledged the matter and directed that proceedings continue, scheduling arguments on Ahmed’s bail application for December 7.