NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday said that both sides — lawyers and police — bore responsibility when the Bar Council of India complained about Delhi Police’s “brutality” during the violence in the Tis Hazari court last week.
The observation from the bench came when Bar Council of India chairman Manan Mishra complained against alleged police brutality in the November 2 incident. “There were problems from both sides. Nobody claps with one hand,” observed a bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and KM Joseph.
Mishra also questioned the police’s action of firing bullets on lawyers. Justice Kaul responded that he will not comment anything on this issue. "Sometimes our silence is good enough. There were problems from both sides. Nobody claps with one hand. We won’t speak much,” he said.
The statements were prompted during a hearing pertaining to a strike of lawyers in Odisha. The Supreme Court had taken note of the long-standing strike and wanted the assistance of the Bar Council of India apart from other stakeholders.
Attorney General KK Venugopal was also present during the hearing and it was the law officer who deprecated cessation of work by the lawyers since it affects access to justice.
Venugopal also cited the ongoing strikes in Delhi courts after the violence at Tis Hazari court. But senior advocates Mishra and Vikas Singh questioned the police action. They submitted police had opened fire at the lawyers and did not conduct them well.
(With agency inputs)