Jammu lawyers hold protest march against police

Hundreds of lawyers today held a march in Jammu, demanding an impartial probe into the alleged assault of a senior advocate by some policemen a fortnight ago and suspension of the accused.
The lawyers, who had been on an indefinite strike paralysing working of the judiciary for more than a week, today took out the march led by Jammu Bar Association (JBA) president M K Bhardwaj.
Raising slogans against the police, the rally passed through various markets and reached the Tawi Bridge in the city where they blocked vehicular traffic for some time.
They also sit on a dharna in front of the office of the Inspector General of Police of Jammu, demanding immediate action against the erring officials.

Talking to the reporters, Bhardwaj said that "we will continue our agitation until our demands are fulfilled".
On April 16, police intercepted advocate Harshvardan Gupta, who was riding on a two-wheeler without registration number plate in Gandhi Nagar area of the city and allegedly assaulted and detained him.

On April 27, asserting that no one is above law, state police chief Ashok Prasad had said that if someone had broken the law, he had to go through a legal process.
"No one is above law. If someone has broken the law, has to go through a legal process," Prasad had told reporters here in response to a question over the lawyers' indefinite strike in support of demand for suspension of policemen including the Station House Officer (SHO) for detaining a lawyer and seizure of his two-wheeler.

Replying to a question on lawyers' demand for an impartial probe, the police chief said "We have conducted our preliminary inquiry. If anybody wants to have another inquiry welcome to have it. If there is no fault on either side, that person should not be victimised.