New Delhi, Dec 30 (IANS): Advocate Mehmood Pracha is defending a number of terror accused including Mirza Himayat in the 2010 Pune German Bakery Bomb Blast, Syed Muhammad Ahmed Kazmi in the 2012 Israel Embassy attack, Mohammed Mansoor Asghar Peerbhoy in the 2008 Delhi serial bomb blasts and Khalistani terrorist Jagtar Singh Hawara from mid-2018 to mid-2019 in the Beant Singh murder case, according to intelligence sources.
Delhi Police searches at Pracha's residence raised a storm recently. There was support on social media platforms in favour of Pracha.
When contacted for a reaction, Pracha told IANS, "Himayat Beg -- when I argued his case in Bombay High Court he had conviction of 6 counts of life sentences and 5 counts of death sentences. The Honble HC acquitted him of 10 charges and all the cases of death were acquitted from because of my arguments in the Bombay High Court and 5 cases of life sentences and Honble court also gave its ruling that there has been no conspiracy by Himayat Beg".
"In Syed Mohd Ahmed Kazmi case I got him bail from Supreme Court of India thereafter the prosecution the Special Cell and the ED are running away from facing the courts, and delaying the trial in one pretext or the other they are running away. In Mansoor Peerbhoy case we have clearly established that in all these case in at least three cases were conducted by some other people and these were inoncent victims, we are finding out the real culprits behind the terror activities in the country".
Intelligence inputs say that Pracha's provocative speeches in the anti-CAA protests compelled the agencies to probe his engagement with anti-India activities.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind had hired Pracha for defending various accused terrorists. Pracha is general member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board's Delhi branch. At the South Asia Minority Lawyers' Association, Pracha serves as the president of the organization.
Since July 2017, Pracha runs 'Dalit, Minorities & Tribal Lives Matters'. He is also the chief of the Organization for Promotion of Legal Awareness.
Samvidhan Suraksha Samiti - Pracha and Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan convene the organization. This organization manages all anti-CAA protests around the country and also provides legal aid. The chief patron and advisor of organization is Wajahat Habibullah, the first Chief Information Commissioner of India and former chairperson of National Minorities Commission, who in 2004 demanded US mediation in the Kashmir issue.
Bhim Army - Pracha supports the radical allegedly pro-Dalit organization led by Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan called Bhim Army both intellectually and legally. Mehmood also defended Ravan in the recent Dariyaganj violence and Jama Masjid extremist anti-CAA protest cases.
Pracha is defending a number of terror accused. These include Mirza Himayat in 2010 Pune German Bakery Bomb Blast, Syed Muhammad Ahmed Kazmi in 2012 Israel Embassy Attack. He even successfully defended the radical journalist and now enjoys supports from media channel run by him. He is also defending Mohammed Mansoor Asghar Peerbhoy in 2008 Delhi serial bomb blasts and Khalistani terrorist Jagtar Singh Hawara from mid-2018 to mid-2019 in Beant Singh murder case. Mehmood Pracha was sacked by Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind from its cases for not focusing on the matters.
As per intelligence inputs, Pracha also lodged a case against IB, also questioning its constitutionality in 2014. Intel inputs say the advocate was to board a flight to Iraq with 6 others for allegedly "humanitarian work and to free the captive Indian immigrants from ISIS".
Pracha with others was taken into custody by the Intelligence Bureau and his passport stamped 'offloaded'.
Later, he lodged a case in Delhi High Court claiming Rs. 10 Crore for the purported humanitarian work and also questioned the constitutional validity of IB. he asked the court to order the government to disband Intelligence Bureau as it was allegedly "not constituted under any statute or legislation.
Pracha was part of the anti-CAA protests, leading Shaheen Bagh and other anti-CAA aggressive protests with Chandrashekhar Azd Ravan under the 'Samvidhan Suraksha Samiti'.
In 2019, Mehmood Pracha undertook a radical campaign against so-called "Mob Lynching of minorities, Dalits.