Shots fired at Tis Hazari, expose poor security in Delhi courts

The shots were fired at around 1.35pm on Wednesday outside the court building, but within the Tis Hazari complex, police said.

A confrontation between two groups of lawyers at Tis Hazari led to at least five shots being fired in the air at the court complex, Delhi Police officials aware of the matter said on Wednesday, adding that no one was injured in the incident.

Paramilitary personnel stand guard outside Tis Hazari court complex after a firing incident took place during a clash between two groups. (Vipin Verma/HT Photo)

The shots were fired at around 1.35pm on Wednesday outside the court building, but within the Tis Hazari complex at the western wing of the lawyers’ chamber block, police said. It was not immediately known whether both sides were involved in firing the shots.

The incident showed that despite a spate of shootouts, security arrangements inside courts — where safety should be of paramount importance, given the presence of high-profile criminals, vulnerable witnesses and victims, in addition to hordes of police personnel — were still shoddy. The police and administration will need to work on war footing to ensure security to courts.

Gangster Jitender Maan alias Gogi was gunned down by members of his rival group inside a courtroom in Rohini district court in September 2021, a suspended lawyers wearing an advocate’s attire shot multiple bullets at a woman in Saket district court this April.

After a low-intensity explosion went off in Rohini court in December 2021, the Delhi high court ordered several steps to be taken to ramp up security at city courts. These measures included round-the-clock monitoring of the courts premises and thorough checking at entry gates. However, despite installation of baggage scanners at entry gates, people have been able to sneak in firearms, exposing laxity in implementation of security measures.

Speaking about Wednesday’s incident, Sagar Singh Kalsi, deputy commissioner of police (north), said a police team reached the spot and learnt that shots were fired after a confrontation between two groups of lawyers.

“While one group was led by Manish Sharma – the senior vice president of the Delhi Bar Association (DBA) Tis Hazari, the other group was headed by Atul Sharma, the secretary of the DBA. Soon after getting information about the incident, a police team reached the spot and took control of the situation,” Kalsi said.

The cause of the clash was not immediately known.

“We have identified at least 10 people involved in the incident on the basis of over eight CCTV footage provided to the police. As per local intelligence inputs, the incident took place over some legal dispute. It is yet to be verified whether the arms, used in the commission of crime. were licensed or not,” the officer said, adding that over a dozen people are being interrogated.

A purported video of the incident was circulated on social media, showing d a man dressed as a lawyer firing what appeared to be a pistol. The police could not immediately verify the authenticity of the clip, though they are in possession of CCTV footage of the incident.

Soon after the incident, the Bar Council of Delhi (BCD), taking suo motu cognisance of the firing, suspended the licence of Manish Sharma.

“You being an advocate resorting to violence that too inside the court premises is highly deplorable and is gross misconduct. The chairman of Bar Council of Delhi under the power vested with him in section Rule 42, Chapter-IV of Bar Council of Delhi rules, has suspended your licence to practice as an advocate, with immediate effect,” the notification signed by Col (retd) Arun Sharma, the BCD secretary, said.

Senior advocate KK Mannan, BCD president, told HT, “It is shameful act that has been done and the heinous crime that they have committed has tainted the entire fraternity...”

BCD has further called Manish Sharma to appear before it on July 7 and submit an explanation as to why he was involved in the incident and had opened air fire in the court complex, failing which ex parte action would be initiated against him in accordance with law.

Manish Sharma, however, claimed that the gun seen in purported video footage of the incident is a toy gun. He claimed that he was attacked after he had met advocate Nitin Ahlawat, the Delhi Bar Association president, to end the rift. “I received a call from the DBA president to end the fight and he called me to his chamber to talk. As soon as I came out of the president’s chamber, they (Atul Sharma and his supporters) initiated a fight,” he claimed.

He also said that he fired a toy gun, used to scare off monkeys.

He declined to comment on his suspension from BCD.

Meanwhile, Kalsi said a forensic science laboratory team examined the scene of the crime. “As per the investigation so far, at least five rounds of bullets were fired in the incident...,” he said.

The DCP said that a case under Indian Penal Code sections of firing and rioting has been lodged against unknown persons at the Sabzi Mandi police station.

Separately, the Delhi Bar Association, in a resolution, said that stern action would be taken against lawyers and their friends involved in the incident.

“Sometimes it may so happen, as it has happened in the past, that a lawyer may bring a firearm by keeping it in his coat or in his car as lawyers are not frisked, but the district judge is also very concerned about security, and we have a meeting scheduled on Saturday on this issue to enhance the security and curb such anti-social incidents from occurring,” Ahlawat told the media.