Delhi HC Bar Association asked to abstain from work tomorrow to support lawyers' strike

Members of the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) have been requested to abstain from work on Monday by the Bar Council of India and support the lawyers' protest over the scuffle that broke out between lawyers and Delhi Police personnel at Tis Hazari Court on Saturday.

New Delhi: Taking cognisance into the strike called by the Bar Council of India over the scuffle that broke out between lawyers and Delhi Police personnel at Tis Hazari Court yesterday, members of the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) have been requested to abstain from work on Monday and support the protest.

To avoid inconvenience to the courts and litigants, the DHCBA will depute proxy counsel in every court and a list of proxy counsel will be duly circulated.

The DHCBA urged Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, Justice DN Patel to order an immediate judicial enquiry into the incident and to recommend action against the "delinquent" police officials, following which the concerned DCP and ACP will be placed under suspension.

The lawyers' association have demanded that an FIR should be registered against the police officers for their "criminal acts".

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) said that the matter has been taken by its president, Chairman of Bar Council of India, Chairman of Bar Council of Delhi with the Chief Justice of India and the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.

Three senior judges of the Delhi High Court -- Justice G S Sistani, Justice S Murlidhar and Justice Vipin Sanghi met the injured advocates at St Stephens Hospital, said Preeti Singh, Acting Honorary Secretary, SCBA.

One of the wounded advocate, Vijay Varma, who received a bullet injury in the right-hand side of the chest is stable and interacted with the judges and others who visited him at the hospital.

"Bar Council, as well as SCBA, has assured that all expenses for the treatment of the lawyers shall be borne by them. The judges have assured that the FIR will be registered and the erring police officials will be arrested, and an impartial enquiry will be conducted," Singh said.

Around 10 police personnel including Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) and two Station House Officers (SHOs) and eight advocates sustained injuries in the scuffle that broke out between police and advocates over a parking issue here at Tis Hazari Court premises on Saturday.

In the wake of the clash, the Bar Council of India has called for a lawyers' strike across district courts in the national capital on November 4.