Delhi protests: Bar Council wants policeman who fired at lawyers arrested

New Delhi: As lawyers demonstrated outside the district courts across the national capital, Bar Council of India Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra said on Wednesday that no incident of violence involving lawyers, the police and the public will be tolerated and action will be taken against the guilty.

He also accused policemen of making provocative statements against judges and lawyers during their protests outside the police headquarters on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters inside the Supreme Court premises, Mishra said the BCI has taken serious note of all incidents of violence between lawyers and the police and all requisite action will be taken against those guilty. Police protests were triggered by two attacks on their colleagues, one on Monday outside Saket District Court and another before that, on Saturday, at the Tis Hazari Courts Complex after a parking dispute between an on-duty policeman and a lawyer, which led to at least 20 security personnel and several advocates being injured. Two FIRs were registered against unidentified persons, who were seen in a video hitting a uniformed policeman on a motorcycle with his elbow and slapping him outside the Saket court.

"Despite the matter being sub judice before the Delhi High Court, police have lodged two FIRs yesterday against the lawyers. They (police) are also before the high court and they could tell the court whatever they wanted to say. This lodging of FIR cannot be justified. If they are not happy with the high court order passed on Sunday then they can file the review petition or seek recall of the order," Mishra said.

The BCI Chairman also condemned targeting of media personnel covering the incident and said "targeting the media which is one of the strongest pillars of democracy is not justified". He demanded that the policeman who had allegedly fired at a lawyer on his chest should be arrested as early as possible.

Mishra refused to term as strike the absenteeism at work by lawyers and said it is a peaceful protest and once the policeman who had fired at the lawyer is arrested, the advocates will join judicial work.