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Haryana tribunal row: Striking lawyers manhandle journos covering litigants’ plight
On Thursday morning, a senior citizen litigant, who was not allowed to enter the court despite repeated requests, starting crying and threatened to kill herself.
Two days after a spat with employees, lawyers at the Punjab and Haryana high court manhandled journalists, including a female reporter, on Thursday.
The lawyers, who have been protesting for two weeks against Haryana’s decision to establish a Haryana State Administrative Tribunal (SAT), were vexed with media’s coverage of the plight of litigants, who were not being allowed to enter the court for over a week now. Lawyers have laid siege to all five gates of the court complex.
On Thursday morning, a senior citizen litigant, who was not allowed to enter the court despite repeated requests, starting crying and threatened to kill herself.
As journalists rushed to hear her grouse, a group of lawyers started misbehaving with them, asking them to “just highlight their issues”.
In the melee, a female journalist was pushed around and the camera of a photojournalist was broken. The journalists had to call in the police as lawyers continued their misbehaviour and sloganeering against the media.
The matter, however, was resolved after the intervention and apology by the Punjab advocate general, Atul Nanda, Bar president DPS Randhawa and senior advocate Anupam Gupta.
The Chandigarh Press Club condemned the incident.
Earlier on Tuesday, a senior high court functionary, who had also objected to the restricted entry, was manhandled.
A day later, leading service lawyer Rajiv Atma Ram had questioned the proceedings of the Bar general house on August 5, in which the decision to continue with the strike was taken, even though the high court had deferred the implementation of the July 24 notification on constitution of the tribunal.
Meanwhile, the Bar announced to continue the strike on Friday as well. A general house meeting has been called at noon to discuss the matter.
“The high court administration is aware of the prevailing situation. It will be discussed on Friday at an appropriate forum, and necessary steps will be taken so that litigants are not hassled,” a top high court functionary said.
Following a call given by the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana (BCPH), the lawyers at Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula courts also observed a strike on Thursday.
The Bar association, Chandigarh courts, said they will continue the strike on Friday and Saturday. However, this protest is against UT’s proposal to transfer rental cases from courts to sub-divisional magistrate (SDMs).
