On 10th September, the Allahabad High Court fined lawyer Mehmood Pracha Rs 1 lakh for wasting the court’s valuable time, reported Live Law. He brought a writ case against the verifiability, integrity, authentication, and security of videography during the electoral process. Furthermore, the court disapproved of his behaviour in showing up for the video conference wearing his coat and band and arguing the case without notifying the court that he would be there in person.
The bench of Justice Shekhar B. Saraf and Justice Manjive Shukla also instructed him to be “cautious” going forward and ensure he upholds the dignity and decorum of the court.
The Delhi High Court had received two petitions from him on the same issue and both times the rulings were pronounced to his satisfaction, according to the court. He nonetheless proceeded to the Allahabad High Court in pursuit of similar redress. The bench expressed its failure to comprehend the reason for his decision to submit the first two writ petitions before the Delhi High Court and then approach the Allahabad High Court. The pleas concerned the elections of the 7-Rampur Loksabha Constituency in Uttar Pradesh for the year 2024.
The bench observed, “This court is unable to understand this shift being made by the petitioner when the petitioner had gone on record before the Delhi High Court stating that his prayer stands satisfied. The petitioner cannot jump or shift mid-way and choose the forum he prefers. He could have approached the Delhi High Court once again as the cause of action remains the same and appears to be only incidental to the earlier prayers granted by the Delhi High Court.”
The court voiced its surprise at learning that the advocate would be making an in-person appearance as he was witnessed donning a coat and band during the hearing. The court mentioned that it learned of the development only after it delivered its order, seeking to impose costs on the petitioner. The court pointed out that he had not taken off his band before the argument and was astonished at this behaviour. It further stressed that this conduct was inappropriate for a senior attorney, who should be acquainted with the fundamental conduct necessary when speaking to the bench in person.
The bench commented, “This behaviour is not expected of a senior member of the bar who is expected to be aware of the basic etiquette to be followed while addressing the bench in person. Mr. Pracha is directed to be cautious in the future and ensure that he maintains the decorum and dignity of the court. Another aspect to be noted is that the petitioner had filed this writ petition through an Advocate (Mr. Omar Zamin). Having done so he could not have appeared in person without removing his advocate or having taken leave of the court.”
The court discarded his writ petition with a cost of Rs. 1,00,000, which is to be paid to the Uttar Pradesh State Legal Services Authority within 30 days of the date. In addition to the ‘inappropriate methodology’ he employed during his in-person appearance, the order was issued due to the writ petition being submitted incorrectly, which cost this court valuable time. The court instructed the Registrar General to take the appropriate steps to recover the amount in compliance with the law if the penalty is not reimbursed.
Controversial past of Mehmood Pracha
Advocated Mehmood Pracha is one of the most vocal voices among radical Muslims in the country. In 2020, an India-centric journal was started by a pro-ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) media outlet. The journal called “Voice of Hind” was published by Al-Qitaal Media Center and Junudul Khilafah al-Hind and featured Mehmood Pracha on its cover page.
He is the founder and national convenor of “Mission Save Constitution” (MSC) which planned to arrange an “All India Muslim Mahapanchayat” in the Ramlila Maidan in the national capital on 29th October of last year in response to the ‘atrocities’ committed against Muslims in India. The permission provided to MSC on 16th October was rescinded by the Delhi police upon discovering the event’s communal nature. The following day, the reservation at the Ramilla Maidan was also cancelled.
His video on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) went viral on social media in February of this year in which he was seen spreading propaganda and provoking people. “UCC is a conspiracy. It is not the Uniform Civil Code. It is the Uniform Story Code. RSS governments promote it in different states and parts of the country. They aim to snatch the rights of 99 per cent of the citizens of the country and give them to Adani and Ambani. They want to loot money from all banks and give it to their workers and help them flee the country,” he claimed.
