The Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association (PHHCBA) on Thursday afternoon decided to call off their strike, after three and half a days, after their demands were met by authorities in Punjab.
“The officials of CIA-1, Hisar, have been added in the FIR and the relevant sections of law, including the provisions of the Arms Act, have been incorporated therein. Further, the station house officer (SHO) concerned (Nayagaon) has been transferred to the Police Lines and departmental proceedings have been initiated against him by the competent authority,” PHHCBA secretary Gagandeep Jammu said in a statement after general house approved the decision of withdrawal of strike.
The strike started on Monday afternoon with the allegations that on November 30, cops from Hisar, Haryana, entered the house of a lawyer in Nayagaon and assaulted him. The Haryana cops were reportedly investigating a case from Hisar and were in Nayagaon without informing the local police. Lawyers are terming the incident a case of “abuse of power” by the police. As per lawyers, despite written representations, the Nayagaon police did not act.
The court took suo motu note of the strike on December 16 and sought an affidavit from the Punjab director general of police. The next day, the court was informed by the state that a criminal case has been registered against unknown persons on the complaint of the lawyer concerned at Nayagaon police station and a show-cause notice has been issued to the SHO, asking why he did not act on the complaint. However, the lawyers did not agree to withdraw the strike demanding that Haryana cops, who assaulted the lawyer, should be named in the criminal case and the SHO should be transferred. The court tried to end the strike and asked the lawyers to not abstain from work and take up issues on the judicial side. It also reminded the lawyers of their duties and expressed its concerns and said that the litigants coming in from far-off places would be harassed. However, the lawyers did not budge.
{{/usCountry}}The court took suo motu note of the strike on December 16 and sought an affidavit from the Punjab director general of police. The next day, the court was informed by the state that a criminal case has been registered against unknown persons on the complaint of the lawyer concerned at Nayagaon police station and a show-cause notice has been issued to the SHO, asking why he did not act on the complaint. However, the lawyers did not agree to withdraw the strike demanding that Haryana cops, who assaulted the lawyer, should be named in the criminal case and the SHO should be transferred. The court tried to end the strike and asked the lawyers to not abstain from work and take up issues on the judicial side. It also reminded the lawyers of their duties and expressed its concerns and said that the litigants coming in from far-off places would be harassed. However, the lawyers did not budge.
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