Won't represent woman who raised 'Free Kashmir' placard at protest against JNU violence, says Mysuru Bar Association

The Mysuru Bar Association has issued a statement saying that it will not represent the woman who had raised ‘Free Kashmir’ placard at a protest held in Mysuru University on 8 January, according to president S Anand Kumar on Wednesday.

“Our members submitted a requisition requesting none of our lawyers should represent Nalini. We discussed and decided not to represent or provide legal services to her,” Kumar told reporters in Mysuru.

According to The Hindu, the woman identified as Nalini Balakumar is an alumna of the University of Mysore’s Department of Studies in Mass Communication and Journalism. She had raised the ‘Free Kashmir’ placard during a protest organised in the university against the violence in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on 5 January.

Her last counsel had reportedly withdrawn from the case, citing personal reasons, the report added.

The Karnataka Police had booked her under Sections 124A (sedition) and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in Jayalakshmipuram Police station, Mysuru.

Balakumar was given interim bail in the case last week and has even released a video clarifying that her intention was only to bring to notice the Internet shutdown in Kashmir for the past five months, and nothing else.

With inputs from ANI