Delhi HC orders immediate suspension of two police officials, judicial inquiry in Tis Hazari scuffle

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Sunday directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to immediately suspend the police officials involved in the clash that took place outside Tis Hazari Court on Saturday.

Delhi HC has ordered a suspension of ASI Pawan and ASI Kanta of Delhi Police, who are reportedly believed to be policemen who were involved in the initial quarrel over parking space that flared up into a major scuffle between the police and lawyers. The HC has ordered a transfer of Additional DCP Harinder Singh and Special CP Sanjay Singh during the pendency of the probe.

Delhi High Court has also ordered a judicial inquiry to be conducted into the scuffle and appointed retired high court judge SP Garg as the head to carry out the investigation. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) have been asked to assist Judge SP Garg in the inquiry. The court has directed that the inquiry should be completed within 6 weeks.

The court further directed Delhi Police Commissioner to record statements of lawyers who were injured in the scuffle and instructed the commissioner to lodge an FIR immediately, in connection with Saturday's clash between police and lawyers at Tis Hazari Court.

The HC also directed the Delhi government to provide a lumpsum compensation amounting to Rs 50,000 to Advocate Vijay Verma, and Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,000 to other two injured advocates, who got injured in the scuffle.

A scuffle broke out between Delhi Police officials and advocates after a heated argument over parking on Saturday. At least 20 police personnel and several lawyers were injured in the scuffle while 17 vehicles were vandalised. The lawyers had also accused the police of opening fire on them as the situation escalated, but the police denied the charges.

During a hearing that took place on Sunday, the Delhi Police informed the High Court that a special investigation team (SIT) has also been formed by the police to probe the incident. According to police, the lawyers also destroyed twelve motorcycles, one Gypsy van and eight jail vans and they also set some vehicles on fire. The lawyers, however, claimed that police opened fire on them and four of their colleagues got injured due to police's action.

(With inputs from Nivriti Mohan and Neeraj Gaur)