Ghaziabad lawyers' agitation turns violent

The two-day-old Ghaziabad lawyers' agitation turned violent Thursday after the police failed to act against allegedly erring constables who Sunday manhandled the former bar association secretary inside a police station.

The lawyers who were staging a dharna in the court premises broke the metal detectors and damaged the barricading that checks vehicles Thursday. They then locked the police post after breaking chairs, throwing tables to the ground and hurling abuses at the police.

The police force on duty quietly slipped out from the court compound.

Ghaziabad Bar Association president Anil Pandit pacified the lawyers and sent a delegation to SSP Sachi Ghildiyal who expressed her inability to initiate action against the constables since the election model code of conduct is in force.

The SSP claimed she had written to the Election Commission (EC) asking for permission to initiate action against the constables.

She said that the guilty policemen have been shifted to the police lines and a final decision on action against them would be taken only after the EC grants permission and the inquiry report reaches her office.

SP City Shiv Hari Meena said: "Our hands are tied. We cannot act in violation of the model code of conduct. We are awaiting clearance from the EC. Only then, we will act."

Former bar association secretary Sashi Tyagi was allegedly manhandled inside the Kavi Nagar police station April 13 when he came to enquire about the detention of his nephew.

Meanwhile, the inquiry has been handed over to SP Rural Jagdish Sharma.

The association also sent a letter to the EC demanding that Ghildiyal be transferred for not taking timely action and adopting dilly-dallying tactics to shield the constables who in an inebriated state had roughed up the lawyer.

The association said the constables who were drunk while on duty should be immediately dismissed.

Further, their medical examination was not conducted and no disciplinary action was initiated against them even five days after the incident.

"The bar association has decided to continue the agitation," said Pandit.