Delhi lawyers to boycott work on Nov 4 in protest against Ghaziabad courtroom police assault

All Delhi lawyers will be boycotting work on Monday, November 4, in protest against the police assault in a courtroom in Ghaziabad. The clash between lawyers and baton-wielding police erupted on October 29 after a district judge ordered the police to disperse some protesters who were allegedly chanting slogans against him over a disagreement.

In a meeting of the Coordination Committee of all Bar Associations of Delhi, the members decided that all lawyers will boycott work on November 4 to register their protest.

The development comes after the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) condemned the assault on the lawyers inside the Ghaziabad court, terming the incident as an egregious violation of rights and the rule of law.

Criticising the incident, the association also said that such act happening the direction of the District & Sessions Judge, Anil Kumar-X, are unacceptable and undermine the integrity of the judicial system.

The SCBA also called into an inquiry regarding the conduct of the judge who allegedly directed the attack on the protesting lawyers and investigation into the incident. It has also demanded that Anil Kumar-X and the police personnel involved in the incident be dismissed. Also Read | ‘Non-serving of non-veg…’: SC lawyers protest against canteen for providing only Navratri menu, say ‘wrong precedent’

THE GHAZIABAD COURTROOM CLASH

The chaos erupted around 11 am in the district and sessions court complex in the Raj Nagar area following a heated exchange between an advocate and the judge regarding the hearing of an anticipatory bail case.

According to the reports, the lawyers demanded that the judge should hear the case of anticipatory bail on priority but the reportedly judge refused, saying it would be heard as per the listing.

In the complaint, former district bar president Nahar Singh Yadav said at this, the judge started abusing the lawyers. He added that the judge then called the police force, and personnel headed by DCP (City zone) Rajesh Kumar Singh and ACP (Kavinagar) Abhishek Srivastava came in and resorted to baton charge.

During the incident, some lawyers sustained injuries. Police officials also accused the lawyers of setting a police post on fire.

(With agency inputs)