HC asks Delhi Police to provide protection to lawyer

The Delhi High Court today asked city police to provide protection to a lawyer, who has claimed that he has been receiving threat calls and SMSes from gangster Ravi Pujari for defending terror suspects including Indian Mujahideen co-founder Yasin Bhatkal in court cases.
"Provide security to the petitioner (M S Khan)," a bench of Justice Pratibha Rani told the counsel appearing for Delhi Police.
During the proceedings, the court was informed that the alleged threat calls received by the criminal lawyer could not be matched for want of the samples.
Police, meanwhile, told the court that it has been taking steps to ensure protection of the lawyer.

Earlier, the court had sought responses from the city police and the Ministry of Home Affairs on the plea of Khan who moved the high court after being asked by the apex court.
The threat was against the fundamental right to personal life and liberty of the person who is also a respected member of the bar, the plea said.

The counsel for Khan claimed that the threat call, which emanated from Australia, has been routed through Iran as has been the case with some Bollywood celebrities like Salman Khan who has also received similar threats from Pujari.
"Issue an appropriate writ, order or directions or directing respondents ... To investigate the matter on the complaints ... And ensure safety and security of the petitioner and his family," the plea said.

The petition also sought a direction to police and the MHA to take steps "necessary for the smooth functioning of professional activities by the petitioner being an advocate and to exercise his right to life and liberty".
Khan, who is handling about 50-terror related cases besides defending top Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT) bomb expert Abdul Karim Tunda and extradited gangster Abu Salem, claimed to have received a call on January 16 from a person who identified himself as Pujari.
The petition said that after the threat call, the lawyer received an SMS allegedly from Pujari in which the gangster threatened that he would kill one of his family members.