A day after striking lawyers of the Punjab and Haryana High Court clashed with the Chandigarh police, Chief Justice of the High Court Justice A.S. Sikri took suo motu notice of the strike and stayed the investigation into the case against them. The lawyers who had called a two-day strike after Wednesday’s fracas, have decided to continue their agitation till Friday.
The Chief Justice issued notices to the Punjab Home Secretary, the Inspector General of Police, the Senior Superintendent of Police and the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association, asking them to submit their replies by March 11, the next date of hearing.
He also directed the Registrar, Vigilance of the High Court to conduct a fact-finding enquiry.
The row broke out on March 4 when a cop of the Chandigarh police slapped senior advocate Rupinder Kholsa after a verbal duel between the two over entry with a smart card from the main gate no. 1 of the High Court. At this, some junior lawyers beat up the constable, who was later hospitalised for his injuries.
Later the Chandigarh police registered an FIR against Mr. Khosla and 19 other lawyers, provoking the Bar association to agitate for the withdrawal of the FIR.
