On the fifth day of lawyers’ strike in the Capital on Friday, while the advocates boycotted work, judges were on duty and the premises remained open for litigants. The lawyers suspended the strike later in the day.
“Though the lawyers abstained from the work, the litigants were appearing in the court. Judges were working. The situation was peaceful. Cases were mostly given dates for further hearing,” said advocate Navneet Kasana, Chairman of the Media Committee at Shahdara Bar Association.
Advocate I.S. Saroha, former president of the Rohini Bar Association, said that at the Rohini Courts, one gate remained locked where protesting lawyers had been gathering for the last five days and continued the protest and litigants were allowed to enter from another gate.
Advocate Priyanka Kasana from Tis Hazari Courts said that the court premises was open to public and those who could handle their matters on their own did so, while the lawyers’ abstained from working.
Mr. Navneet said that “the suspension of work was not only a loss to the public, but also monetary loss for the lawyers as they have not been working continuously for the last five days, adding: “We are not salaried... but we were helpless.”
On November 2, a major clash broke out between lawyers and the Delhi police over a parking issue leaving 20 police officers and eight lawyers injured. A bullet was fired allegedly by an Assistant Sub Inspector-rank officer and it hit a lawyer. The lawyers have been protesting demanding the arrest of the officers involved in the incident of firing.
