Protesting Ghaziabad lawyers offer arrest at police station after 6 FIRs

On Monday, about 1,700 lawyers marched to the Kavi Nagar police station where six FIRs have been registered against them, said the Ghaziabad bar association office bearers

Ghaziabad: Hundreds of protesting lawyers on Monday afternoon courted their arrest as they visited the Kavi Nagar police station following six first information reports (FIRs) lodged against them since the October 29 courtroom violence incident. Police, however, said it did not arrest anyone.

Lawyers in Ghaziabad have been on strike since October 29 after a disagreement during a bail hearing allegedly escalated to violence, arson, and sparked off a police lathicharge inside a courtroom. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Lawyers in Ghaziabad have been on strike since October 29 after a disagreement during a bail hearing allegedly escalated to violence, arson, and sparked off a police lathicharge inside a courtroom. Ever since, lawyers are striking work and demanding action against police and transfer of a judicial officer.

On Monday, about 1,700 lawyers marched to the Kavi Nagar police station where six FIRs have been registered against them, said the Ghaziabad bar association office bearers. “We offered them the arrest. Even the lawyers named in the FIRs were present at the police station to offer their arrest. However, police officers refused to make an arrest, saying that no one is wanted in the cases. They had deployed personnel to guard the police station and even placed barricades to prevent lawyers from coming inside,” said Nahar Singh Yadav, a senior lawyer.

A 51-member committee is spearheading the protest and 11 senior lawyers of the bar association will hold fast at the protest site at the court complex, said Deepak Sharma, president of the bar association.

“Police did not arrest any of the lawyers even after six FIRs. These FIRs are just registered to pressurise lawyers and defame our protest. However, we will continue to protest and have sought support from tehsil bar associations and other 22 bar associations in western Uttar Pradesh. This will have an impact as no one is listening to our demands,” Sharma added.

Police said no lawyer was arrested on Monday.

“No arrest was necessitated in connection with the FIRs and investigation is continuing in these cases. So, we did not make any arrest and protesting lawyers went back to the court from the police station,” said Rajesh Kumar, deputy commissioner of police (city).

Post October 29 incident, police registered two FIRs against the protestors and two others over the roadblock protest held to block Hapur Road on November 11 and 12.

Last Friday (November 29), two more FIRs were lodged. The first was registered against a lawyer following a complaint by court staff of a judicial officer, alleging that the lawyer had entered the officer’s chamber without permission to get some documents attested.

It was registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 267 (intentionally offers any insult, or causes any interruption to any public servant) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation).

The second FIR named 43 lawyers and 70-80 others unidentified lawyers. It was registered under BNS sections 267 (Intentional insult or interruption to public servant sitting in judicial proceeding), 221 (voluntarily obstructs any public servant in the discharge of his public functions), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 115(2) (causing voluntary hurt) and 127 (3) (wrongful confinement).