DIBRUGARH, May 2 - The police have arrested Vijay Pandey, a lawyer of Dibrugarh Bar here in connection with Dibrugarh Police case no. 571/20 u/s 20(ii) (c)/29 NDPS Act pertaining to a drug racket unearthed on March 23 where about 13 kgs of ganja was seized from near Banipur Railway Station.
According to police, the vehicle which was used to carry out the drug deal belonged to lawyer Pandey. Police had arrested alleged peddlers Asif Khan, Ayush Tomar and Arun Sharma on March 23. Police said that the lawyer further went out of his way to take up the bail petition of the accused arrested earlier by side-lining another lawyer after the court order was passed. The lawyer is under judicial custody now.
However, the family members and Dibrugarh Bar Association here told newsmen that the vehicle used in the drug deal was sold away nine months back by Vijay Pandey. They produced the affidavits and documents of sales to claim that the advocate was no more the owner of the vehicle. They said that only the transfer process of the registration certificate has been delayed. �In spite of being aware of these facts, what compelled the police to arrest him? If the police can arrest anyone at will, we admit that we are insecure now. We are of the opinion that Vijay Pandey has become a victim of the corrupt system as he was vocal against injustice and kept fighting against all sorts of corruptions,� said advocate Ajit Borgohain, president, Dibrugarh Bar Association.
Satyabrata Sharma, Secretary, Dibrugarh Bar Association said that the way Vijay Pandey was arrested is unacceptable to the lawyers� fraternity. �We know lawyer Vijay Pandey. Police could have interrogated him even without arresting him. He is not someone who would go on hiding. He has been vocal against all sorts of injustice and corruption. He was still in the court at the time of his arrest. His arrest is unwarranted. Even the hard-core criminals are not arrested the way lawyer Vijay Pandey was arrested,� said advocate Sharma.
