SCBA condemns police action against lawyers in Ghaziabad court

SCBA demanded that a sitting judge of the Allahabad high court probe the alleged “high handedness” of the Uttar Pradesh police

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Wednesday condemned the police lathi charge against lawyers in the Ghaziabad district court on October 29 demanding an inquiry by a sitting high court judge into the alleged “high handedness” of the Uttar Pradesh police and to fix responsibility on the judicial officer concerned, at whose instance the police was called.

Ghaziabad: Police said two separate First Information Reports (FIRs) were being registered on the complaint by a court staffer and the police officer in charge of the police post. (HT Photo/Sakib Ali)

In a resolution, SCBA secretary Vikrant Yadav said, “The SCBA shall not tolerate any attack on the prestige of advocates and in pursuance, demands that the Allahabad high court and the UP government shall take immediate steps to demand inquiry into the conduct of district and sessions judge Anil Kumar-X by a sitting judge of the Allahabad HC, headed by chief justice of the HC with the administrative judge of HC looking after affairs of Ghaziabad district.”

The SCBA said the lathi charge on the advocates was high-handedness of UP police, which was a clear violation of their rights and the rule of law and strongly condemned “the inhumane and violent act of police on advocates inside the court premises” on the orders of the sessions judge.

Police said a group of lawyers, who were demanding the transfer of hearing in a bail case, clashed with baton-wielding police personnel after the judge called in the police to remove the protesting lawyers during a bail hearing. The lawyers are also alleged to have later torched a police post inside the district court complex.

The SCBA resolution demanded dismissal of the judge and police officers responsible for the lathi charge following the investigation and adequate compensation to be paid to the injured lawyers.

The association also called upon the statutory organsations – Bar Council of India and state bar councils to protect lawyers in discharging their duties without fear of intimidation or harassment.

Visuals of the incident that emerged on social media showed police beating the lawyers, the lawyers protesting and damaging the police post at the court complex and even raising slogans against the judge. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the videos.Following the incident, all the judges stopped working in the court and the Bar Association called for a meeting.