Delhi lawyers call off strike as LG’s video order put on hold

The announcement came after members of bar associations met Union home ministry officials earlier in the day

Lawyers across Delhi on Thursday called off their week-long strike after the Delhi Police informed them that the lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena’s notification permitting police officers to depose before court via video conferencing from police stations has been put on hold. Officials said the order would now be implemented only after consultations with all stakeholders.

Delhi lawyers on Thursday stage a protest against LG’s order allowing police to virtually depose before courts. (PTI)

The announcement came after members of bar associations met Union home ministry officials earlier in the day. During the meeting, it was conveyed that Union home minister Amit Shah would personally meet representatives of the Bar to discuss their objections and attempt a resolution.

In a statement, Delhi Police commissioner Satish Golchha said, “The operation of the said notification on the ground would be carried out after hearing all stakeholders.”

A police spokesperson clarified that the August 13 notification had designated police stations across Delhi as venues for online depositions. The move, however, drew immediate opposition from lawyers, who argued that allowing investigating officers and other witnesses to depose from their own stations could compromise the sanctity of trial proceedings.

The coordination committee of All District Courts Bar Association of Delhi had submitted representations against the order on August 18 and 20 to Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta and LG Saxena. “The Union home minister would meet the representatives of the Bar to discuss the issue with an open mind,” the police spokesperson added, stressing that the notification would remain in abeyance until consultations were complete.

Following the announcement, lawyers’ representatives described the outcome as a victory for the Bar.

Advocate Tarun Rana, secretary of the New Delhi Bar Association, said, “Our demands remain the same: material witnesses, particularly investigating officers, should not be allowed to depose from police stations. This is a victory for the lawyers after a week-long struggle.”

Advocate Anil Basoya, secretary general of the coordination committee of the All District Courts Bar Association, added, “The home minister has conveyed to us that he will listen with an open mind and we are hopeful the notification will eventually be taken down… We are not doing this for lawyers but for the clients we represent, who deserve a fair trial.”

The strike, which began last week, escalated sharply on Wednesday when lawyers from six district courts staged road blockades and burnt effigies in protest. They alleged that the notification would undermine fair trial standards and could allow manipulation of evidence by police.

The agitation brought courtroom proceedings across the city to a halt, with cases adjourned as lawyers abstained from work. Even prosecutors were prevented from joining hearings, whether in person or through video link.

HT had earlier reported on how such strikes come in direct defiance of multiple Supreme Court rulings calling lawyers’ strikes illegal and unethical, obstructing justice and violating rights of litigants to access courts.