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Lawyer’s ‘custodial torture’: Advocates’ strike to continue on Wednesday, demand CBI probe
The Punjab Police on Monday night had booked six cops, including a superintendent of police, on charges of subjecting an advocate to unnatural sex, custodial torture and criminal intimidation
The Bar Council on Punjab and Haryana (BCPH) decided to continue with the strike on Wednesday in the courts of two states and Chandigarh in protest against the alleged torture of a Muktsar lawyer in police custody.
The statutory body with 1.3 lakh members across two states and Chandigarh; and with regulatory control over all the bars, had given a call to strike work on Monday due to which work remained suspended in the courts of both the states and Chandigarh.
The Punjab Police on Monday night had booked six cops, including a superintendent of police, on charges of subjecting an advocate to unnatural sex, custodial torture and criminal intimidation. However, the lawyers remained dissatisfied with the action and decided to continue with the strike.
On Tuesday, BCPH members, which are drawn from the two states, met again and exhorted chief minister Bhagwant Mann to cancel the FIR registered against the lawyer and hand over the probe into the FIR registered against cops to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The BCPH also demanded that all the accused cops in the September 25 FIR be arrested, and Muktsar senior superintendent of police be suspended and the case of the lawyer’s ‘custodial torture’, ‘unnatural offence’ transferred out the district.
It also demanded that the Punjab government should immediately give ₹25 lakh as compensation to the victim.
“…if all these demands are not met by September 27 at 3 pm, the State Bar Council shall be forced to take all possible steps within its realm to protect the rights, privileges and interests of advocates on its roll,” the statement from BCPH said, adding that advocates shall suspend work on Wednesday and if demands are not met by 3 pm, the work would be suspended on September 28 (Thursday) as well.
A meeting of presidents and office-bearers of all bar associations from the three states would be called at 2 pm on September 28 to decide on further action.
On September 14, two persons, including an advocate were arrested after CIA in-charge inspector Raman Kumar Kamboj lodged a complaint at the Muktsar City police station, alleging that the duo had assaulted a police team, tore their uniforms and deterred them from discharging public duty on the Tibbi Sahib road in Muktsar.
According to the bar body, the lawyer in question was allegedly made to indulge in ‘unnatural sex’ with a co-accused by the officers in police custody and was beaten up upon arrest on the night of September 15. He got his statement recorded before the court on September 22. Seven cops, including an SP-level officer and a DSP, were named by the lawyer in his statement before the court. The medical record had shown injuries to him. The court had then ordered the registration of FIR the same day, which the cops registered on September 25.
Meanwhile, the work remained suspended in the high court as well and the bar association said that it would continue with suspension of work on Wednesday as well.
The HC lawyers conducted a general house meeting in which a resolution was passed demanding the dismissal of cops allegedly involved in the incident and shifting of the probe outside the state.
The Bar Council on Punjab and Haryana (BCPH) decided to continue with the strike on Wednesday in the courts of two states and Chandigarh in protest against the alleged torture of a Muktsar lawyer in police custody.
The statutory body with 1.3 lakh members across two states and Chandigarh; and with regulatory control over all the Bars, had given a call to strike work on Monday due to which work remained suspended in the courts of both the states and Chandigarh.
The Punjab Police on Monday night had booked six cops, including a superintendent of police, on charges of subjecting an advocate to unnatural sex, custodial torture and criminal intimidation. However, the lawyers remained dissatisfied with the action and decided to continue with the strike.
On Tuesday, BCPH members, which are drawn from the two states, met again and exhorted chief minister Bhagwant Mann to cancel the FIR registered against the lawyer and hand over the probe into the FIR registered against cops to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The BCPH also demanded that all the accused cops in the September 25 FIR be arrested, and Muktsar senior superintendent of police be suspended and the case of the lawyer’s ‘custodial torture’, ‘unnatural offence’ transferred out of the district.
It also demanded that the Punjab government should immediately give ₹25 lakh as compensation to the victim.
“…if all these demands are not met by September 27 at 3 pm, the State Bar Council shall be forced to take all possible steps within its realm to protect the rights, privileges and interests of advocates on its roll,” the statement from BCPH said, adding that advocates shall suspend work on Wednesday and if demands are not met by 3 pm, the work would be suspended on September 28 (Thursday) as well.
A meeting of presidents and office-bearers of all Bar associations from the three states would be called at 2 pm on September 28 to decide on further action.
On September 15, two persons, including an advocate were arrested after CIA in-charge inspector Raman Kumar Kamboj lodged a complaint at the Muktsar City police station, alleging that the duo had assaulted a police team, tore their uniforms and deterred them from discharging public duty on the Tibbi Sahib road in Muktsar.
According to the Bar body, the lawyer in question was allegedly made to indulge in ‘unnatural sex’ with a co-accused by the officers in police custody and was beaten up upon arrest on the night of September 15. He got his statement recorded before the court on September 22. Seven cops, including an SP-level officer and a DSP, were named by the lawyer in his statement before the court. The medical record had shown injuries to him. The court had then ordered the registration of FIR the same day, which the cops registered on September 25.
Meanwhile, the work remained suspended in the high court as well and the Bar association said that it would continue with suspension of work on Wednesday as well.
The HC lawyers conducted a general house meeting in which a resolution was passed demanding the dismissal of cops allegedly involved in the incident and shifting of the probe outside the state.
