Lawyers Strike Continues For Third Day; Patiala, Saket District Courts Closed To Litigants
One lawyer protesting at Rohini district court took off his clothes and poured kerosene on his body in a bid to immolate himself.
Lawyers in all the six district courts here abstained from work for the third consecutive day on Wednesday, protesting against the clash between advocates and the police at the Tis Hazari Courts Complex on Nov. 2, and denied access to litigants in some courts.
The lawyers closed the main gates at Patiala House and Saket district courts and did not let litigants access the court premises as part of their protest. During the protest at Rohini district court, one lawyer took off his clothes and poured kerosene on his body in a bid to immolate himself, while another advocate climbed the rooftop of one of the buildings in the premises.
One of the protesting lawyers, who did not want to be named, said they will not resume the work till the time the policemen, who had allegedly fired at and lathi-charged advocates are not arrested.
Jaiveer Singh Chauhan, secretary of Delhi Bar Association of Tis Hazari court however said: "Litigants have been allowed inside premises. We are protesting peacefully. They have been allowed inside court rooms too."
Police protests were triggered by two attacks on their colleagues, one on Monday outside Saket District Court and another last Saturday at the Tis Hazari Courts Complex after a parking dispute between an on-duty policeman and a lawyer which led to at least 20 security personnel and several advocates being injured.
Two FIRs were registered against unidentified persons, who were seen in a video hitting a uniformed policeman on a motorcycle with his elbow and slapping him outside the Saket court.
As lawyers demonstrated outside district courts in the city, Bar Council of India Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra said any incident of violence involving lawyers, police and public will not be tolerated.
Speaking to reporters in the Supreme Court premises, Mishra said the BCI has taken serious note of all incidents of violence between lawyers and police and all requisite action will be taken against those guilty.