As members of the Bathinda district bar association (BDBA) continued their boycott of courts for the seventh consecutive day on Tuesday, there are hardly any signs of the strike coming to an early end.
With the lawyers' strike, an average of 800 cases, which are being listed for hearing in the courts on everyday, remain unheard leaving the people in a lurch who come to the courts but have to go back home without any proceedings in their cases.
With the protest entering the second week, the lawyers too have stepped up the pressure. On Tuesday, lawyers claimed of having sent the names of three senior judges in the district courts levelling charges of corruption against them to the Punjab and Haryana high court. To step up the protest, the lawyers started an indefinite dharna inside the court complex on Tuesday. The lawyers also raised slogans in support of their demands.
President of BDBA Navdeep Singh Jeeda said, "In the resolution passed on Tuesday, we have mentioned names of three judges for their involvement in corruption in deciding the cases. The resolution has been sent to the Punjab and Haryana high court."
Reiterating the lawyers' demand, Jeeda said that they want the inspecting judge of Bathinda judicial division Justice Ajay Tiwari to pay a visit to Bathinda. "Though, we have named three judges in the resolution, we would provide the inspecting judge more material against these judges if he comes here to listen to our grievances," he said.
{{/usCountry}}Reiterating the lawyers' demand, Jeeda said that they want the inspecting judge of Bathinda judicial division Justice Ajay Tiwari to pay a visit to Bathinda. "Though, we have named three judges in the resolution, we would provide the inspecting judge more material against these judges if he comes here to listen to our grievances," he said.
{{/usCountry}}This is for the first time that the lawyers have mentioned names of the 'corrupt' judges.
District and sessions judge Tejwinder Singh said that inspecting judge justice Tiwari had called lawyers to Chandigarh to submit their complaint so that he could look into the matter, but lawyers wanted justice Tiwari to visit Bathinda.
The lawyers are observing boycott of courts in Bathinda since Monday last week.