Lawyers' strike to continue in district courts on Thursday

Lawyers of district courts in Delhi have decided to abstain from work for the fourth consecutive day on Thursday as their demand for the arrest of policemen involved in a clash at Tis Hazari court has not been met, members of bar associations said on Wednesday.

Lawyers in the district courts have been absenting from work since November 4, protesting against the clash between them and Delhi Police personnel at Tis Hazari court on November 2.

"Boycott will continue till justice is met. We want the culprits to be arrested. Litigants will have access to court. They will be welcomed tomorrow too. We have decided to make arrangements for tea and and water for them," said Jaiveer Singh Chauhan, the secretary of Delhi Bar Association at Tis Hazari court.

He said that as no police personnel were present inside the Tis Hazari court premises, members of the bar were looking after the security there.

"We have not stopped the police from entering the premises, they themselves chose not to stay inside. The bar took care of the security here. Lawyers did the security checks of the litigants who entered the court's premises," Chauhan said.

Dhir Singh Kasana, the secretary of general coordination committee of all district courts bar association in Delhi, said the boycott will continue till their demand for arrest of the alleged guilty assistant sub-inspector is fulfilled and that lawyers have been appealed to carry out peaceful protests on Thursday.

"Strike will continue. There will be peaceful protests tomorrow. Litigants will be allowed inside. They were not allowed in Saket court today as no police personnel were deployed here. There were security concerns. We will have to find a way. Lawyers will be doing the security checks tomorrow from 10 am to 4 pm if there are no police," Kasana, who is also the secretary of Saket Bar Association, said.

He added that proxy counsel will be appearing on Thursday to take dates of the cases at Saket court.

Advocate Sanjeev Kumar Ojha, who participated at the protests at Rohini court, appealed to the law students to join them.

"I appeal all the law students to join the protests and show their solidarity with us," he said.

Lawyers in six district courts here -- Tis Hazari, Saket, Rohini, Karkardooma, Patiala House and Dwarka -- abstained from work for the third consecutive day on Wednesday, protesting against the clash between advocates and the police at the Tis Hazari court complex on November 2, and denied access to litigants in some courts.