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Delhi bar body calls for criminal action against suspended ACP for remarks against lawyers
Members of the Central Delhi court bar associations sought an independent and time-bound inquiry into the incident, the representation said.
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The Central Delhi court bar association on Monday wrote to the Delhi Police Commissioner, demanding the registration of a criminal case against suspended assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Manasvi Vashishtha for his alleged misconduct and derogatory remarks against lawyers during a protest outside the Delhi Police headquarters over his transfer.
The bar members sought an independent and time-bound inquiry into the incident, the representation said.
A protest was held outside the Delhi Police headquarters on Monday, with scores of Delhi Police officers, including the recently transferred Gandhi Nagar ACP, seeking a meeting with police commissioner Anurag Kumar over the recent face-off with Shahdara lawyers. Vashishtha was suspended following the protest.
The controversy
Deep Dive
The controversy stems from an October 23 incident at Shahdara police station, following an alleged assault on advocate Lalit Bansal, who suffered a serious head injury. An FIR was registered on a complaint by advocate Amulya Ratan.
According to the lawyers' account, several advocates visited the police station that evening to seek action against those named in the assault case.
They alleged that ACP Vashishtha and the station house officer assured them that the accused, who were present at the police station, would be arrested. However, the lawyers learnt the following day that the accused had not been arrested and had reportedly been released.
When the advocates returned to the police station to question the handling of the case, Vashishtha allegedly displayed his revolver and threatened and intimidated them, the bar bodies alleged.
The police, however, have offered a counter-version, saying the confrontation followed a dispute between two groups over a motorcycle-related incident.
A separate case was registered for alleged misbehaviour with police personnel on duty, while the allegation that the ACP pointed his service weapon at the advocates was under investigation.
What the bar body demanded
In their representation addressed to the commissioner, the association said the alleged conduct raised “serious apprehensions regarding his fitness to remain entrusted with a firearm and other weapons” and called for accountability, irrespective of the officer's rank or position.
The association, while acknowledging the gravity of the allegations, has put forward five demands, including the registration of an appropriate criminal case wherever the legal grounds are made out, and the initiation of stringent departmental proceedings and exemplary disciplinary action against the ACP.
It has also sought an impartial, independent and time-bound inquiry into the alleged misconduct, immediate withdrawal of the officer's firearm and other weapons until his fitness and suitability are assessed, and a time-bound investigation into the entire incident to ensure that no officer is allowed to evade accountability.
“The bar association unequivocally demands” these measures, the representation stated, adding that an officer allegedly involved in such grave misconduct and insulting remarks against the legal fraternity was “unfit to continue exercising authority in his present position until his conduct and fitness are duly examined”.
The representation further warned that failure to act could damage the relationship between the police and the Bar.
“The dignity of the legal profession and the institutional relationship between the Bar and the police must be preserved through mutual respect, accountability and adherence to the rule of law,” it said.
It added that the incident had generated “widespread resentment, indignation and anguish” among lawyers, and that derogatory remarks against advocates were “wholly unacceptable and cannot be condoned under any circumstances”.
The association also urged the authorities to intervene personally and ensure “immediate, firm and exemplary action” against the officer, saying a meaningful response was necessary to protect the confidence of the legal fraternity in the police administration.
Meanwhile, the Rohini court bar association has called for a strike following Vashishtha’s remarks during the protest and called for stringent criminal and departmental action against him.
