Cops, lawyers clash at Tis Hazari court
New Delhi: Vehicles torched, black smoke seen from miles, shrieks of violence and injured lawyers and policemen, this was the horrific scene at Tis Hazari court on Saturday afternoon after violent clashes broke out between lawyers and policemen inside the court premises in North Delhi. The angry lawyers torched a police vehicle and vandalised at least 20 others in the mayhem which left several policemen and lawyers injured.
Additional Commissioner of Police (North District) Harinder Kumar, SHOs of Kotwali and civil lines, and the operator of the Deputy Commissioner of police (north) were among those injured along with others.
Lawyers alleged that four of their colleagues were injured, including one in police firing, but the police denied that it had opened fire.
According to one version, the violence started after a lawyer's car allegedly hit a police jail van following which an argument broke out between him and the
police. The lawyers allege that he was then taken inside a lockup and beaten up. Though the SHO too came on the spot but was not allowed to go in. The district judges of the central and west district, along with six other judges went there but were unable to let the lawyer out.
Bar associations condemned the incident and called a one-day strike across all district courts in the national Capital on November 4.
K C Mittal, Chairman of Bar Council of Delhi, said,
"The police took one young lawyer inside the lock-up for allegedly parking his vehicle outside the lock up, they had no reason to beat him up brutally, tear his clothes, and throw him outside, this is when the whole thing got provoked. This cannot be tolerated. We will also talk to the chief justice regarding this incident."
The injured lawyers were rushed to St. Stephen's hospital where they are undergoing treatment. Several fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse off the burning vehicles. Several mediapersons filming the incident were also manhandled by protesting lawyers.
"When they stormed the police lock-up, for the safety of under trial prisoners and in self defence police has to resort to firing aiming in the air. The circumstances of the gunshot injury to the lawyer are being further investigated with the help of the CFSL team.
Twenty police officials including one Addl DCP and two SHOs have sustained injuries. Eight advocates have also sustained injuries. SIT of the crime branch will investigate the case registered. It has also been decided that an enquiry team headed by a special CP will enquire in to the entire sequence of event and on its findings further action will be taken," said a senior Police officer.
