New Delhi: Hundreds of Delhi Police personnel on Tuesday staged an unprecedented protest against the assault on their colleagues by lawyers at the Tis Hazari court on Saturday. While it has been a measured response by the man who is heading the police force of Delhi, loud voices of dissent reverberated the PHQ at ITO.
Delhi Police chief Amulya Patnaik assured of a "fair probe", calling it "testing time for us". But most importantly, he asked them to end stir and join back work.
As the policemen, carrying placards, raised slogans for hours outside the Police Headquarters at ITO, Patnaik finally stepped out and told them that it was "testing times for us". He urged the policemen to join back their duties and maintain peace.
Giving a pep talk and reminding the force of their "duty", Patnaik said, "We have to behave like a disciplined force. The government and the people expect us to uphold the law, it is our big responsibility. I urge you to resume duty."
But those words of advice didn't cut much ice with the protest refusing to end.
A clear divide between the Seniors and Junior erupted with the many protesting policemen alleging that the top officers failed to stand by them even as they were thrashed by lawyers.
"If you beat up a cop in uniform, it's not the person who is beaten up but the uniform that is humiliated. This will only ensure breakdown of law and order," said a protesting police officer to media.
The overwhelming feeling from the unprecedented protest that is refusing to die down is the Police Commissioner's word of comfort was "too little, too late".
One policeman went ahead and demanded a fair play from the courts as well, "Did only lawyers who were thrashed who were admitted to AIIMS. We want the court to hear us out as well."
A minor argument between a lawyer and some policemen over parking at the Tis Hazari court complex on Saturday flared up, leading to violence and arson. A lawyer was left with a bullet injury.
"Twenty policemen, including one Additional DCP and two SHOs, sustained injuries. Eight advocates were also hurt. 12 motorcycles, one police QRT gypsy and eight jail vans were damaged," the police had claimed.
As Patnaik left the venue, the number of protestors only grew with minute. Many family members and their kids too came to the venue sporting black band, as a mark of protest.
"Whatever is happening to cops should not have happened. It's a fight for justice, it's a fight for dignity", said a lady who identified herself as a family member of a porotesting cop.
The Delhi Police on Tuesday submitted a report to the Ministry of Home Affairs on the violence at Tis Hazari court premises. The Ministry, which directly controls Delhi Police, had sought the report from the Delhi Police just a day after the violent clashes.
A five-minute audio tape of a policeman, who was seriously injured in Saturday's violent clashes at Tis Hazari courts, has revealed that the lady Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) present on the spot was allegedly abused and roughed up by the lawyers and a desperate attempt was made to snatch away her PSO's service revolver.
While the PSO (Personal Security Officer called 'Operator' in Delhi police) was thrashed with iron chains and lay unconscious on the floor, the lady DCP, Monika Bhardwaj, broke down on Sunday and wept for quite some time, the audio clip revealed.
Reliable sources told IANS that the audio clip is part of a recorded telephone conversation between the injured PSO of the lady DCP and one of her office staff. The PSO disclosed over phone to IANS how the assault resulted in a fracture in his shoulder and injuries in ribs and hands.
But as men in khaki came to streets and the law enforcers demanded 'justice' and 'human rights', the sentiments were raw. But the optics of it has left the nation shocked.