New Delhi: A minor altercation between some Delhi Police personnel and advocates in Tis Hazari court premises escalated into a big clash on Saturday, resulting in arson that left one lawyer injured with a bullet injury.
At least 10 police personnel and several lawyers were injured while 17 vehicles vandalised, according to officials and eyewitnesses.
The injured included Additional Commissioner of Police (North District) Harinder Kumar, SHOs of Kotwali and civil lines, and the operator of deputy commissioner of police (north), police said.
The lawyers announced an indefinite strike starting this Monday in all district courts, demanding an action against the policemen involved in the firing incident.
According to an advocate, the scuffle started after a lawyer parked his vehicle outside a lock-up used to keep criminals.
He was "rudely" told by some police constables to remove it but he insisted on parking his car there as he had an "important hearing," the advocate told IANS.
Some other advocates, who were eyewitness to incident, told IANS that the policemen then took the advocate to the police lock-up.
This escalated the situation as other advocates objected to this and ended up damaging police vehicles present at the spot.
"How can you put an advocate in lock-up. We are lawyers not criminals," an agitated advocate said.
Eyewitnesses say that seeing the situation going out of control, police decided to fire in the air to disperse the agitating advocates but a bullet hit the advocate who was kept in the lock-up, turning the situation ugly.
"How can we believe that the bullet was not aimed at him? If the policeman had fired in the air then how the advocate inside look-up got into its way?" a bar council member questioned as he narrated the sequence of events that followed led to the violent face-off.
"We strongly condemn the brutal unprovoked attack on lawyers by police at Tis Hazari courts. One lawyer is critical. A young lawyer was beaten in lock-up by police. They should be dismissed and prosecuted. We stand with Delhi lawyers," K.C. Mittal, Chairman of Bar Council of Delhi said.
Ikrant Sharma, Senior Vice President of Delhi Bar Association told IANS, "We have decided to go on an indefinite strike starting next Monday. We will make sure that those responsible for the event are booked appropriately."
The lawyers have reportedly barricaded themselves inside the court premises, preventing police and media persons from entering. Taking the tense situation into account, police have also locked several gates leading into the court complex.