New Delhi:
Senior members of the Bar deplored last week’s violence between lawyers and Delhi Police personnel at Tis Hazari court and subsequently at other district courts here, saying they both should work in tandem and not against each other.
While advocates Rakesh Dwivedi and Vikas Singh called the alleged attack on lawyers by police personnel “deplorable” and “unfortunate”, their colleague Vikas Pahwa said lawyers should not have resorted to violence.
B K Gupta, a retired Delhi Police Commissioner, advocated for a special law to deal with assault on police personnel.
Retired woman IPS officer Vimla Mehra said both sides should be given a fair hearing and be allowed to share their side of the story.
Pahwa said the entire judicial system has come to a standstill and it is expected that lawyers and police work in tandem and not at loggerheads.
“I appeal to all my colleagues at the Bar to maintain calm and restraint, in this difficult situation. We should refrain from indulging in breaking the law. We must trust the judiciary, which has taken suo motu action in the matter and has passed a detailed order directing a judicial enquiry into the episode of violence.
“The trial courts are unable to function. Undertrials could not travel to courts as the Delhi Police has abstained from working like the lawyers. The police is an essential arm of the criminal justice system. It is expected that lawyers and police work in tandem with each other and not at loggerheads,” he said.
Singh said it was not correct to attack lawyers for a small parking issue.
“This is not correct to attack lawyers for a parking issue. If they (police) have provoked the legal community because of which what was happening, that is also unfortunate,” he said.
Terming the incident as “truly horrible, Dwivedi was of the opinion that things could be resolved in a decent manner.
“It was a horrible thing to happen. Trivial things lead to such episodes. Things can be resolved in a decent manner. Not like this. Who individually is at fault should be seen. It is truly horrible. Incident is deplorable,” he said.
Talking about Monday’s incidents of alleged attack on mediapersons by lawyers, Pahwa said it was not necessary that the lawyers have to retaliate by violence.
“The court has given protection to the advocates without even waiting for the report. The legal profession is respected by everyone in the society. We should lead by example.
“It is not necessary for lawyers to resort by violence. The law will take its own course. We have to respect the litigants, the media people and all others who are connected with the criminal justice system. We cannot attack them,” he said.
He further appealed to senior colleagues at all bar associations here and Bar Council to call for an urgent meeting and invite senior officials of Delhi Police to find an amicable solution.
Singh reiterated his views and said, “I don’t support that (alleged attack on media persons and police by lawyers), that should never have happened. Unfortunately, the atmosphere which has been created because of this one incident is snowballing out of proportion, which is sad.”
Pahwa’s view that lawyers and police should try to resolve the situation by finding an amicable solution also found favour with former senior Delhi police officials.
Former Delhi Police commissioner BK Gupta told PTI, “The entire action was one-sided. The policemen were seriously injured. The High Court took suo motu cognisance of the incident and ordered action against the police officers. They should have awaited the judicial inquiry report and then taken action.”
Lawyers are not above the law and if a policeman is directing something for the sake of law and order, they should follow it, he added.
“There should be strict laws against assault on policemen. Just like the laws were amended for cause of women safety, laws should be made stringent in case of assault on policemen on duty,” he stressed.
Dependra Pathak, DGP, Andaman and Nicobar, tweeted, “Police is a disciplined force. We are to uphold rule of law maintaining highest standards of discipline. @DelhiPolice is one of the finest Police forces of our country. Protesting Policemen must return to their duties and ask for grievance redressal in a disciplined manner.”
A former Delhi Police commissioner, requesting anonymity, said, “There is lack of leadership in Delhi Police. After the Delhi High Court order, the police should have immediately filed an appeal against it and not waited for the Home Ministry’s direction.
“The only thing that can boost the morale of the force is quick action against those who assaulted a policeman at Saket Court. They should be immediately picked up.
