Ghaziabad lawyers booked for violent agitation

The Ghaziabad police Friday booked a number of lawyers following violence during their agitation a day before.

The station officer of Kavi Nagar police station told IANS that a criminal case under sections 147, 353, 427, 504 and 506 of the IPC has been registered against unidentified lawyers. The case has been lodged on the complaint of SSI Narendra Kumar.

Thursday, 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.

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.

"The bar association has decided to continue the agitation. The general body meeting Monday will decide the future course of action," said Pandit.