Supreme Court bar bodies strongly condemn Ghaziabad court incident

New Delhi: Supreme Court Bar bodies on Wednesday strongly condemned the "inhumane and violent act" of police on advocates inside Ghaziabad court premises, Uttar Pradesh, allegedly under the direction of a District and Sessions Judge.

Supreme Court Bar Association and Supreme Court Advocate on Record Association demanded an inquiry and dismissal of the judge and strong action against police officers who ordered lathicharge on advocates.

In a resolution, the SCBA stated the lathi charge on the advocates is high- handedness of UP Police, and is a clear violation of their rights and the rule of law.

"Supreme Court Bar Association shall not tolerate any attack on the prestige of Advocates," it said.

Expressing solidarity with the advocates of Ghaziabad, the Bar body also demanded taking measures to ensure that such incidents do not recur.

It also sought introduction and implementation of the Advocates Protection Act for protection of Advocates and its families against such brutal incidents.

It also called upon the Bar Council of India and all other State Bar Councils to take necessary steps to protect the rights of Advocates and to ensure that they are able to discharge their duties without fear of intimidation or harassment, it said.

In a separate resolution, the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association also strongly condemned the incident, which occurred inside the Court premises in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, yesterday on October 29, 2024.

"It is our strong belief that a fair and impartial investigation into the incident must be made in this regard. For the said investigation a committee headed by the Hon'ble Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court or his nominee along with members of the Bar Associations should be constituted to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure that the dignity of the institution is not compromised at the hands of few. We extend our deepest concern to the injured ones and wish them speedy recovery," it said.

A video about the unsavoury incident purportedly showing policemen welding sticks and lawyers involved in heated exchanges has also gone viral on social media on Tuesday.