Delhi Bar Association goes on indefinite strike, wants action
were on fire. They were that were put on fire in a bid to cause a blast and break open the lock-up,” Singh said.
A video shot on mobile phones showed large groups of lawyers smashing the windows of jail vans and a police jeep. Another showed them being chased by policemen.
“I was working on a case in my chamber when policemen smashed glass panes of the door using their batons. They abused me, locked the chamber from outside and left,” alleged Reena Singh, a lawyer. Other lawyers accused the police of vandalising parked cars of advocates.
“When some people were vandalising the prison vans, I saw four prisoners trapped inside one van. They were begging to be rescued,” said Vaibhav Arora, an advocate. His colleague, Jai Vats, said it was at that time that a judge signalled the lawyers to rescue them. “We saved them and moved them to the court lock-up,” said Vats.
JCP Kumar said the police had no knowledge of this particular “rescue”.
The Congress and AAP criticising the Bjp-led central government, which controlls Delhi Police, for the incident.
“It was a cowardly attitude on part of police. The way the lawyers were assaulted, it’s barbaric,” said AAP’S Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh.
Delhi’s social welfare minister Rajendra Pal Gautam, also a lawyer, said, “It is the duty of the police to maintain law and order. The force the police used on lawyers rather reflects a collapsed law and order situation.”
Congress’ Delhi unit chief Subhash Chopra said, “If lawyers are not safe under the BJP government, which has Delhi Police under its jurisdiction, how can commoners feel safe? If action is not taken, Delhi Congress will protest in connection with the incident.”
Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said, “We condemn the incident. It should be thoroughly probed and those found guilty should be punished.”
LAWYERS SAID THE STRIKE WOULD SPREAD ACROSS THE COUNTRY IF NO ACTION IS INITIATED AGAINST ERRING COPS
NEWDELHI: The Delhi Bar Association called for an indefinite strike following the alleged incidents of assault and firing on lawyers by Delhi Police at the Tis Hazari Court on Saturday.
Jaiveer Singh Chauhan, secretary, Delhi Bar Association, said the lawyers would abstain from work and the strike would spread across the country if no action is initiated against the alleged erring police personnel.
“We are abstaining from work till the time action is taken against the culprits,” he said.
Chauhan contended that there were 10,000 people at the court premises during the time of the incident. He alleged that police fired four rounds, injuring two lawyers. “One Vijay Verma allegedly suffered a gunshot wound on his chest while the other suffered injuries to his hand,” he said.
According to Chauhan, seven or eight women lawyers were also injured in the incident.
KC Mittal, chairman, Bar Council of Delhi, said the Delhi government’s chief secretary, the Chief Justice of India and chief justice of the Delhi high court have been apprised about the issues and a meeting has been sought with lieutenant governor Anil Baijal against the alleged brutalities by the police. He said the police were chasing the lawyers and bringing them out of the chambers, heckling and beating them. “We condemn the brutal, unprovoked attack on lawyers by police at Tis Hazari court. One lawyer is critical. A young lawyer was beaten in lock-up, showing the high-handedness of police. They should be dismissed and prosecuted, “Mittal added.
The Bar Council of India (BCI) condemned the act and called the incident “completely beyond tolerance of the Bar”.
“We demand from the higher police officials of Delhi Police to immediately arrest the culprits, put them under suspension failing which the situation will go beyond the control of the government. The Bar Council of India strongly condemns this action of the police as a result of which lawyers have been seriously injured by the police firing on a petty issue of car parking. This proves the irresponsible and criminal behaviour of the police,” read a BCI statement.
BCI chairman Manan Kumar Mishra, co-chairman Ved Prakash Sharma and chairman of the Bar Council of Delhi KC Mittal have requested authorities provide the best available medical treatment to the injured lawyers. Mishra also requested the L-G and the city’s police commissioner to immediately lodge complaints against the guilty and have them arrested.
Vinod Dua, a lawyer who has a chamber in the Tis Hazari court premises, said he had to hide in one of the chambers .
Ikrant Sharma, senior vicepresident of the Tis Hazari Bar association, said they are abstaining from work in all district courts. He urged that CCTV footage be examined to ascertain the role of the real miscreants. “I would urge that the CCTV footage be examined to see whether it was the lawyer or the police who started the scuffle, “he said.