Delhi district courts shut as lawyers hold indefinite strike

Lawyers across Delhi’s district courts will continue indefinitely their strike and march towards the Delhi Police headquarters on Thursday to demanded the suspension of an assistant commissioner of police and the station house officer of the Shahdara police station for allegedly threatening and intimidating advocates at the police station last week, as per a resolution

Lawyers across Delhi’s district courts will continue indefinitely their strike and march towards the Delhi Police headquarters on Thursday to demanded the suspension of an assistant commissioner of police and the station house officer of the Shahdara police station for allegedly threatening and intimidating advocates at the police station last week, as per a resolution.

In a fresh resolution passed on Tuesday, the Coordination Committee of All District Courts Bar Associations of Delhi directed members to abstain from judicial work until further directions.

In a fresh resolution passed on Tuesday, the Coordination Committee of All District Courts Bar Associations of Delhi directed members to abstain from judicial work until further directions. It also urged advocates to assemble outside their respective district courts to protest.

“The Coordination Committee has reiterated its demand for the immediate suspension of ACP Manasvi Vashishth, the concerned SHO, and other erring police officials of Shahdara Police Station, pending legal action,” the resolution said.

A senior police officer, who asked not to be identified, said the matter stemmed from an altercation between two groups last week in a residential neighbourhood in Shahdara over a motorcycle skirmish. Both groups—a lawyer and a local—along with their supporters came to the Shahdara police station, where their altercation escalated into a fight, with both groups assaulting each other. “One lawyer suffered a head injury and a case of attempt to culpable homicide was registered on his complaint. The lawyers demanded the immediate arrest of the other group members. Alleging a delay in the arrest, the lawyers’ group returned to the police station again and misbehaved with the ACP and the SHO. Accordingly, a case was registered for alleged misbehaviour with police officials on duty. Their allegation that the ACP pointed his service pistol on them is being probed,” the officer said.

The committee announced that a peaceful protest march would be taken out from Patiala House courts to the Delhi Police headquarters on Thursday. On Tuesday, the bar body turned away several Delhi Police officers entering the court premises, as part of their strike.

The protest follows allegations that ACP Manasvi Vashishtha displayed his revolver and threatened advocates who had approached Shahdara police station seeking action in an assault case involving a fellow lawyer.

The matter stems from an FIR registered at Shahdara police station over advocate Lalit Bansal sustaining a head injury in an alleged assault by two unidentified persons on October 23.

The same day, several advocates visited the police station to seek action against those allegedly involved in the assault. During the visit, Vashishtha and the SHO reportedly assured of arresting the accused, but lawyers alleged the accused had reportedly been released after appearing at the police station.

The lawyers subsequently returned to the police station to question the handling of the case, when the alleged confrontation took place.

“The Committee is deeply concerned that the incident has arisen in the course of advocates seeking appropriate action in a matter involving a serious physical injury to a member of the fraternity,” the resolution said.