SDPI condemns Ravi Poojary's threat to Lawyer Mehmood Pracha

Mumbai, Mar 27: The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) has vehemently condemned the reported alleged threat to noted lawyer Mehmood Pracha from underworld don Ravi Pujari to eliminate him.

SDPI Madhya Pradesh unit president Advocate Sajid Siddiqui in a statement here said that the temerity of those who are threatening people doing their constitutional and professional duty is a reprehensible act which must not only be taken note of by one and all and deplored, but some strong substantial follow up action should also be taken up before any untoward incident takes place.

It should be remembered that a few years back Advocate Shahid Azmi was murdered for defending the innocent Muslim youths arrested on terror charges, he pointed out. Siddiqui said the threat is not only to Pracha but to the Constitution of India, which guarantees all its citizens equality before the law and the right to be defended by lawyer of its own choice. He said that it is sickening to learn that Pracha, who has been fighting many terror-cases of Muslim youths across the country, has uninhibitedly name Rakesh Maria behind the threatening calls and SMSs.

The threatening calls are from different international mobile numbers but the SMS is being sent from one particular number, Pracha has revealed in an interview. Notably, Pracha has been threatened for speaking his mind to the media and claiming to possess “substantive evidence” against not only former ATS chief Rakesh Maria, who is at present the new Mumbai Police Commissioner, but  several police officers involved in terror cases. The lawyer is planning to lodge FIR against Rakesh Maria for implicating Himayat Baig in German Bakery blast case.