Judicial work in Delhi High Court and six district courts was today hampered with a majority of cases getting adjourned to another date due to a day-long strike called by the Bar Council of India against the killing of an advocate in a Allahabad district court premises, allegedly by a policeman.
Lawyers abstained from appearing in matters and only proxy counsel were present to get a next date for hearing in the cases listed before various benches of the High Court and the trial courts.
However, some matters requiring urgent listing were mentioned before a bench of justices B D Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva.
Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) had put up a notice outside each court informing the lawyers as well as litigants about the strike.
The lawyers of the district courts termed the strike "completely successful" and said it was a serious issue if lawyers and litigants are not safe even inside court premises.
The proceedings in several high-profile cases, including the black money case lodged against Dabur promoter Pradip Burman and hearing on the bail pleas of three corporate executives arrested in the Petroleum Ministry document-leak case, were adjourned as the lawyers did not appear in court.
Advocate Sanjeev Nasiar, President of Tis Hazari Courts Bar Association, said, "The government should ensure that no such incident happens in the future and strict action is taken against the offenders in such cases."
Meanwhile, proceedings in the six district courts here at Patiala House, Tis Hazari, Karkardooma, Rohini, Saket and Dwarka are likely to be disrupted tomorrow also as the lawyer's body today said they would observe a day-long strike on March 17 against the delay in the tabling in Parliament of the amended bill regarding the enhancement of the pecuniary jurisdiction of trial courts.
