After obtaining custody of Pervez Tak, a main accused in the case of Laila Khan’s disappearance, the crime branch is now all set to verify every statement made by him while in the custody of the Jammu and Kashmir police, and retrace his steps to all the destinations that he has named.
Tak was brought to Mumbai Sunday and produced at the Esplanade court Monday afternoon, where he was remanded to police custody till July 19. The prosecution argued that the crime branch needs to find out several facts like whether Laila and her family is alive or dead, and their location if they are alive. The crime branch has registered a complaint of kidnapping till such time as their death is confirmed during investigations. “We will be taking Tak to Igatpuri, where Tak claims that Laila and her family were killed, and their bodies disposed of. We will see if we find their remains. We are also contacting airport authorities to find out if Laila and her family has in fact fled to Dubai, a theory that has cropped up during investigations so far,” said a crime branch official. Laila’s farmhouse in Igatpuri also caught fire a week after her disappearance, and the police’s second reason for visiting Igatpuri will be to look for any indications of arson.
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Bar council to abstain from work july 11-12
Age Correspondent
New Delhi, July 9
Alleging that the government is trying to take away the Bar Council of India’s powers by bring in several education bills and is trying to replace its Legal Education Committee with a National Accreditation Regulatory Authority, the BCI has decided to abstain from work on July 11 and 12 as “protest days”.
The BCI threatened to launch an agitation from Jantar Mantar and gherao Parliament during the Monsoon Session if its demands aren’t met.
BCI chairman Manan Kumar Mishra alleged the extreme step was being initiated as HRD minister Kapil Sibal didn’t seem keen on finding a solution to the issues. “The BCI delegation has met Sibal twice, but he is adamant on the issue of HER Bill, 2011, National Accreditation Regulatory Authority for Higher Educational Institutions Act, 2010, the Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operations) Bill, 2010, and the National Law Schools Bill, 2010,” Mr Mishra said.
“The only demand of the councils and associations is to exclude the ‘Legal Education’ and ‘Advocates Act’, from these bills,” the BCI chairman said.
He stated that the protest of state bar councils and Bar Council of India is in the interest of the lawyer bodies.