Punjab & Haryana Bar Council Condemns NIA 'Raid' At An Advocate's Residence, Requests Agency's DG to Supervise Matter

The letter, written by Council's Chairman Suvir Sidhu, has further requested the DG to immediately supervise such actions, take due note of such excess/take appropriate action and restore the rights, dignity, and pride of the legal fraternity that has purportedly been infringed.

It may be noted that the Agency carried out raids at 50 places, covering residences of alleged gangsters in 3 states including Punjab and Haryana in connection with the case registered to probe the ''emerging nexus'' between terrorists, gangsters, and drug smugglers.

During this exercise, the residence of Dr. Shelly Sharma, Advocate was also raided on Tuesday morning and the NIA allegedly checked her rooms, laptops, and some documents and also took away her two mobile phones.

The alleged raid has already been condemned by many lawyers of the Punjab and Haryana High court and the district court.

In its letter, the State Bar Council, while condemning the alleged raids, made a statement that while the Agency is expected to be fair and operate consistent with constitutional norms, but, such raids being conducted by a premier agency, on baseless grounds is reflective of such 'police excesses'.

"The grounds and manner on/in which these raids were conducted are a matter of grave concern for the entire lawyers' community in particular and litigants in general. Advocates are protected under special attorney-client privilege and the right of each citizen to pursue his/her legal remedies by engaging a lawyer of choice. The NIA cannot raid a lawyer's residence-cum-legal office in this manner and look into privileged communication, as has been done in this case whereby phones and other electronic means have been seized. Such raids can only be understood to be purposely designed to intimidate and deter the advocates from pursuing the cases on behalf of accused/victims/convicts," the letter further reads.