New Delhi: District court lawyers will abstain from all judicial work indefinitely after the Coordination Committee of All District Court Bar Associations of Delhi reached an impasse with police over its demands for action against police officers in connection with an alleged threat to advocates at Shahdara police station.
It also called upon advocates to assemble outside their respective district courts on Oct 28 at 11am to spread awareness about alleged police atrocities, followed by a peaceful protest march from Patiala House Courts to Delhi Police Headquarters on Oct 29 at noon. The committee had initially called for a day-long abstention on Oct 27 in protest against the alleged police high-handedness. On Oct 23, an alleged scuffle happened in Shahdara police station in which advocate Lalit Bansal suffered a serious head injury. However, when a lawyer visited the police station on Oct 24 to obtain a copy of the FIR, he learnt that the accused had been set free.
A senior police officer said all the claims made by the lawyers are being verified. In a circular issued Tuesday, the committee said the abstention would continue until its demands were fulfilled. It appealed to the advocates to maintain “complete unity, discipline and solidarity” during the demonstrations. Rouse Avenue Court Bar Association secretary Vijay Bishnoi said that officers at Shahdara police station assured the advocates that the accused, who were in the police station, would be arrested. The police officer who allegedly threatened the lawyers has filed an FIR, which says that 15-20 advocates allegedly “abused” and “intimidated” him and the SHO at Shahdara police station on Oct 24 over the non-arrest of the accused in an assault case. He said CCTV cameras had captured the incident and sought the registration of a case. Dhir Singh Kasana, former secretary-general of the Saket Court Bar Association, said the matter “could have been easily resolved among us, but the police decided to lodge the FIR, so now we have come together to voice our concern against increasing atrocity.”
The lawyers want specific police officers to be suspended, and they want the legal fraternity’s dignity and independence to be maintained. Following a video-conference meeting Tuesday, the committee decided on the indefinite ceasework. Advocate Amulya Ratan filed a complaint against the assault. He alleged an advocate grabbed an SHO’s hand and tried to pull him, while others threatened the police personnel.