Ghaziabad lawyers torch police post after clash with police

Lawyers clashed with police in Ghaziabad court, protesting a denied bail hearing transfer. Police used force; 20 lawyers injured, property vandalized.

A group of lawyers clashed with baton-wielding police personnel and torched a police post inside the Ghaziabad district court complex on Tuesday after a judge called in the police to remove a group of protesting lawyers during a bail hearing, senior police officers said.

Torched furniture near the police post on the Ghaziabad court complex premises. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Additional commissioner of police Dinesh Kumar P said the incident took place around 11.30am. He said the lawyers were demanding the transfer of hearing in a bail case, but the judge rejected the demand.

Deputy commissioner of police (city) Rajesh Kumar said the police resorted to a lathicharge against the lawyers as they were allegedly getting aggressive inside the courtroom. Kumar added that he, along with another senior officer, took the district judge to his chamber.

Deepak Sharma, the district bar association president, did not respond to repeated calls to seek a response.

Personnel from the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) besides a heavy contingent of the state police were deployed in the court complex soon after the incident, senior officers said.

DCP (city) Kumar said they are in the process of registering two separate First Information Reports (FIRs) in the case. “We are in the process of registering two FIRs. One will be registered on a complaint by the staff of the district judge’s courtroom and the other on the complaint by the incharge of the police post inside the court premises.The lawyers vandalised property at the police post and burnt furniture,” the DCP said.

Several videos of the incident emerged on social media with some showing a heated exchange of words between the lawyers and the judicial officers, and others showing the police beating up lawyers with lathis. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the videos.

District judge Anil Kumar, who was present in the courtroom when the clash took place, could not be reached for comment. His staff said the judge was “busy”.

When contacted, Manoj Kumar Mishra, the court manager, said that he was on official leave.

Satyendra Kumar Verma, administrative officer of the Ghaziabad court, said a meeting was being held to discuss the incident. “So far, we have not heard from the district judge. The district judge will decide the further course of action. The court will now be closed for Diwali holidays till November 3. It will reopen the next day,” Kumar said .