Tis Hazari clash: Lawyers continue to abstain from work

New Delhi: The lawyers in the national capital abstained from work for the fourth consecutive day, protesting against the clash with the police at Tis Hazari court on November 2.

Lawyers of all six district courts — Tis Hazari, Saket, Karkardooma, Rohini, Patiala House, and Dwarka — held peaceful protests and allowed litigants and the police to go inside the courts’ premises. Litigants were welcomed with flowers by lawyers at the entrance of Saket court complex.

Lawyers at the Tis Hazari court even managed the security of the court.  “On Thursday, litigants have been allowed to attend their matters in courtrooms and proxy counsel are also appearing to take dates in cases,” advocate D.S. Kasana, the general secretary of coordination committee of the All District Courts Bar Associations, said.

R.K. Wadhwa, the chairman of New Delhi Bar Association, said that litigants have been allowed inside and proxy counsels are appearing at the Patiala House court. The lawyers did not stop the police from entering the court’s premises and perform their duty.

Advocate Sanjeev Kumar Ojha, who was part of the protest at Rohini court, said litigants were visiting but they were few in number.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, a plea was also filed at the Delhi high court seeking action against the police officials who were agitating in public and sitting on dharna after their November 2 clash with lawyers at the Tis Hazari court complex.

The public interest litigation (PIL), which also sought action against the police officials who had issued statements on social media when the matter was already sub judice, has been listed for hearing on Friday.

The petition filed by lawyer Rakesh Kumar Lakra has arrayed as parties the Union of India, Delhi police commissioner Amulya Patnaik, deputy inspector general (DIG) of police in Arunachal Pradesh Madhur Verma, former DCP (Northwest Delhi) Aslam Khan, superintendent of police (SP) of NIA Sanjukta Prashar, and IPS officer Meghna Yadav.

The plea sought direction to the Centre to initiate departmental inquiry against the Delhi police officials who were sitting on dharna and making provocative slogans and issuing inciting statements on electronic and social media.