NEW DELHI: The Bar Council of India (BCI) on Tuesday asked various bar bodies to identify lawyers indulging in hooliganism and requested advocates to end their protests. Lawyers across six district courts have been on strike for two days and are set to continue through Wednesday as well.
BCI chairman, Manan Kumar Mishra, in a strongly worded letter said that sparing such rowdy elements would end up tarnishing the image of the institution and said that it was the inaction and tolerance of bar bodies that encouraged these advocates. This he said would ultimately result in contempt proceedings by the high courts or Supreme Court.
“The incidents of beating policemen on a bike by some of Saket lawyers, assault of an auto driver, manhandling general public are most unfortunate and Bar Council of India is not going to tolerate it. These are acts of grave misconduct,” the letter stated.
The tension between police personnel and lawyers had been building up since Saturday when a clash over a parking dispute led to at least 20 security personnel and several advocates being injured at Tis Hazari complex.
“Hooliganism and violence have no place in the Bar. The leaders will have to stop it immediately. It’s my earnest and humble request. Kindly identify those Advocates (if they are Advocates in the real sense) and send their names and other details by tomorrow to the BCI office,” the letter stated.
The Delhi High Court on Sunday took suo motu cognisance of media reports of the clash between lawyers and policemen at Tis Hazari court complex and said that Justice (retd) S P Garg, a former judge of the court, would hold a judicial enquiry into the matter.
It directed the police commissioner to transfer Special Commissioner Sanjay Singh and Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Harinder Singh during the pendency of the inquiry and made it clear that no coercive action would be taken against any lawyer.