Agra lawyers offer legal aid to 3 Kashmiri students held for celebrating Pakistan cricket team's win

A group of lawyers in Agra has offered legal aid to 3 Kashmiri students held for celebrating Pakistan cricket team's win.

After a group of Agra lawyers decided to deny legal representation to three Kashmiri college students, arrested under the sedition law for celebrating the Pakistan team's win, another group of lawyers has offered legal aid to them.In protest against the decision of the pro-BJP lawyers' groups, the Agra branch of the All India Lawyers' Union decided to fight the case of the Kashmiri students.Senior advocate and former secretary, Agra Collectorate Bar Association, Amir Ahmed, and his colleagues told India Today that all advocates perform their duties under the profession's principles. He said that if these students need an advocate, then the advocates affiliated to the Agra branch of All India Lawyers' Union are ready to represent them in court.Amir Ahmed said the rules and principles of the legal profession do not allow advocates to decide collectively that they will not represent anyone and compel other advocates not to defend him.He said that only an individual advocate has the right to refuse to represent any accused. The Supreme Court has also passed an order, saying that an accused has a constitutional right to get legal aid.Amir Ahmed said that no one has the right to obstruct the legal rights of the accused. The decision taken by some advocates that they will not defend these Kashmiri students is wrong and unfortunate, he said. They have no right, and this act is against the principles and dignity of the profession, he added.

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