Tis Hazari Court lawyers on indefinite hunger strike, demand judicial probe into police firing

Following the scuffle between advocates and the Delhi Police personnel on Saturday, the lawyers of Tis Hazari Court have gone on indefinite hunger strike, demanding a judicial probe into the incident.

"This is an indefinite strike. Our demand is clear -- there should be an FIR against the police personnel who were engaged in a skirmish with advocates. They should be suspended. Compensation should be given to 200 injured advocates, who are being treated currently," Ajay Gaur, an advocate, told ANI.

"Police are getting the matter investigated by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police but we want a judicial inquiry by the sitting judges of the High Court," he added.

Nadeem Akhtar Khan, a lawyer from Patna who is here as two of his cases were listed at the Tis Hazari Court, also condemned the action of cops.

"A police officer fired at an advocate. Bullets are fired at criminals and not on educated people like advocates," he said.

"Yesterday the police personnel at the direction of DCP North, attacked lawyers here. They also broke the lawyers' chambers and their vehicles," alleged RN Vats, a former president of the Bar Association.

"Tomorrow, there will be a strike in all the district courts. We demand that the erring police officials should be suspended at the earliest," he added.

The Bar Council of Delhi has decided to grant Rs 2 lakh each to two lawyers, who are currently at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Rs 50,000 to the lawyers who sustained injuries in the clash.

The Bar Council of India has called for a lawyers' strike across district courts in Delhi on November 4.