A major clash broke out between Delhi Police officers and lawyers inside Tis Hazari court premises on Saturday afternoon allegedly over parking issue. Police officers and lawyers sustained injuries in the incident and several vehicles were damaged.
Advocate Sandeep Nasiar, former president of the Delhi Bar Association who claimed to be present at the spot at the time of the incident, said that around 2:45pm, an advocate parked his car outside the lock-up inside the court premises, a space where mostly police vehicles which bring prisoners to the court for appearances are parked.
“An argument between the advocate and the police officers over parking the vehicle turned violent. Police officers took him inside the lock-up and started thrashing him. Meanwhile, the word spread about the incident,” he said, adding that the “rumour” was that at least four advocates, who had come to the aide of the advocate who the officers had the parking issue with, were also taken inside the lock-up and were being ill-treated.
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Delhi Police, in a statement, however, said that the officers of the 3rd battalion posted outside the lock-up had requested the advocate to park the vehicle in the designated parking as it would have hindered the movement of police vehicles. “In protest, large number of lawyers assembled near the lock-up. CCTV shows that the lawyers forcefully entered the lock up and manhandled the officers on duty,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, 21 vehicles including jail vans were torched and damaged; 20 police officers including Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Harendra Singh, Station House Officers of Kotwali and Civil Lines police station sustained injuries during the clash. Police said that eight advocates have also sustained injuries. A few journalists covering the incident were also heckled and their mobile phones were allegedly snatched by lawyers.