CNN Central News & Network-ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Delhi: New Delhi. The dispute between police officers and lawyers at Delhi’s Shahdara police station has deepened. The Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) has filed a case against lawyers, while the lawyers have accused the police of assaulting them and threatening them by showing a service revolver. In protest against the developments, lawyers decided to stay away from judicial work in all district courts of Delhi on Tuesday, 27 October.
The dispute began with the case of an alleged attack on advocate Lalit Bansal. It had emerged that he suffered a serious head injury in the incident. Complainant advocate Amulya Ratan demanded action in the matter. According to the lawyers’ organisation, several advocates reached Shahdara police station on 23 October. They allege that police officers had assured them of the arrest of the accused, but the next day they came to know that the accused had not been arrested and had allegedly been let off.
The lawyers’ organisation has alleged that when questions were raised over action in the case, ACP Mansvi Vashishth allegedly showed her service revolver and threatened the advocates. Calling the incident serious, the lawyers have demanded the suspension of the ACP and the concerned station house officer (SHO) until a fair investigation is completed.
However, the police version differs from the allegations made by the lawyers. On the basis of the ACP’s complaint, an FIR has reportedly been registered against 15 to 20 lawyers on allegations of misbehaving with police personnel, obstructing government work and issuing threats. The police complaint also mentions CCTV footage of the developments inside the police station.
Work was affected in Delhi’s district courts after the coordination committee of bar associations of all district courts in Delhi held an emergency meeting on 26 October and decided to stay away from judicial work on 27 October. The lawyers have demanded an impartial inquiry into the conduct of police officers and that accountability be fixed.
The investigation into the allegations from both sides and the role of available evidence will now be important. The escalating dispute between the police and lawyers has affected court functioning. Only the findings of the investigation will clarify the circumstances of the incident and the question of responsibility.
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