Tis Hazari clash: Delhi HC dismisses MHA plea; lawyers' strike to continue

New Delhi: In a major setback for the Delhi Police, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed both the clarification and review applications filed by the Ministry of Home Affairs, which sought to clarify the court's earlier order prohibiting coercive action against the lawyers based on FIRs filed by the police with respect to the Tis Hazari clash between the lawyers and police.

The double bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Hari Shankar ruled on Wednesday that their earlier order passed on Sunday was self-explanatory and did not require any clarification. The court added that the November 3 order was the prima facie opinion of the court and would not interfere with the judicial enquiry into the matter.

With this dismissal, the next option for Delhi Police to take action against lawyers who purportedly manhandled police personnel during the clash on Saturday afternoon and their protest on Monday is to approach the Supreme Court of India with an appeal of the High Court's order.

Meanwhile, the lawyers' strike continued for the third day, a day after Delhi Police officials went on a mass strike themselves, seeking support from their top leadership to stand by them. All District Bar Associations of Delhi refrained from working and protested outside their respective district courts.

The Bar Council of India also released a statement on Wednesday, condemning the Delhi Police protest, calling it "the darkest day in the history of independent India". The BCI also called the police strike illegal, asking for the arrest of police personnel who organised the protest.

While the BCI had earlier asked all Bar Associations to suspend their protest and start working from Tuesday onwards, the Coordination Committee of the District Bar Associations continued to lead the protest. The BCI has now sought the arrest of the cops who fired in the Tis Hazari clash within 10 days.The BCI has appealed all lawyers to suspend the strike till then.

But a meeting of the Coordination Committee on Wednesday decided that the lawyers' strike will continue on Thursday as well.