Lawyers across all district courts in Delhi observed a one-day strike and abstained from judicial work on Tuesday, protesting alleged police intimidation and the registration of an FIR against advocates at Shahdara Police Station, news agency ANI reported. The abstention disrupted court proceedings across the national capital.
Source: ANI via Daily Prabhat
The call was given by the Coordination Committee of All District Courts Bar Associations of Delhi, which in a circular dated October 26 demanded the immediate suspension of Assistant Commissioner of Police Manasvi Vashishta and the concerned Station House Officer of Shahdara, pending an impartial inquiry into the incident, according to Live Law.
Source: Live Law
According to the committee, the row began with an incident on October 23 in which advocate Lalit Bansal allegedly sustained a serious head injury following an assault, and an FIR was registered at Shahdara police station with advocate Amulya Ratan as the complainant. Several advocates visited the police station that evening, and the committee says the ACP and SHO assured them the persons named in the case would be arrested.
The lawyers say that when they returned on October 24, they learnt the accused persons had not been arrested and had reportedly been released. When advocates later approached the police station to raise concerns over the handling of the matter, the ACP allegedly threatened and intimidated them. Advocates have also alleged that the officer displayed his revolver during the confrontation, according to Inshorts, citing Times Now. The allegations have not been independently established.
Source: Inshorts (Times Now)
Rouse Avenue Court Bar Association secretary Vijay Bishnoi told ANI the association called an emergency meeting after learning that an FIR had been registered against some lawyers at Shahdara police station on Monday, and said the bar had looked into what led to the case. The Coordination Committee said the circumstances raised serious concerns about the dignity, safety and independence of the legal fraternity.
Source: Law Trend