Jolt for Delhi Police as HC dismisses its plea to lodge FIR against lawyers

Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition moved by the Delhi Police seeking permission to lodge FIR against lawyers involved in violence against cops at Saket District Court. The court also dismissed the application filed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) seeking clarification of the court’s November 2 order in the Tis Hazari Court clash between police and lawyers.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday filed an application in the Delhi High Court seeking clarification of its Sunday`s order in the Tiz Hazari clash. The ministry had moved the clarification on the aspect that the order pertains to only the FIRs that have been registered on November 2 when the incident took place and is not applicable to any subsequent event. 

A clash had broken out between lawyers and cops over an alleged parking issue at Tis Hazari court on November 2, in which several police officials and lawyers were injured. The Delhi High Court had directed the Delhi Police to not take any coercive action against lawyers while directing Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik to transfer Special Commissioner Sanjay Singh and Additional DCP Harinder Singh, in connection with the case.

The High Court also directed Patnaik to record the statements of the injured advocates and subsequently lodge an FIR. Six FIRs were registered in the incident. Delhi Police has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Crime Branch to investigate the matter and internal inquiry has also been initiated. Further, on the basis of a preliminary enquiry, an ASI, Kanta Prasad of DAP third Battalion, was suspended and departmental action against another ASI, Pawan Kumar, was initiated.