Lawyers’ Strike at Punjab & Haryana High Court: Demands for Justice Over Alleged Custodial Torture of Legal Practitioner
Lawyers from the Punjab & Haryana High Court Bar Association (HCBA) have chosen to abstain from work until Friday, in a show of unity and support for a fellow lawyer who was reportedly subjected to sexual assault and torture while in police custody in District Mukstar Sahib.
The decision followed a general house meeting where the HCBA initially resolved to indefinitely abstain from work starting 26 September. However, subsequent developments led them to limit the abstention period until Friday. The HCBA, in an official statement, clarified that the strike might persist if specific demands aren’t addressed. These include:
- The annulment of the purported baseless case against the lawyer, which cites various sections such as 332 (punishment for voluntary causing hurt), 353 (assault or use of criminal force to deter a public servant from performing their duty), 186 (obstructing a public servant in the execution of public functions), and 427 (mischief causing damage amounting to fifty rupees) at the Mukstar Sahib Police Station.
- The transfer of the case’s investigation against the accused officers to the Central Bureau Investigation (CBI) and the inclusion of pertinent penal provisions in the FIR.
- Incorporation of the names of all the officials found at fault as mentioned in the order issued by the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Sri Muktsar Sahib.
- Immediate arrest of the accused police officers.
- Suspension of the SSP of Sri Muktsar Sahib and other officials allegedly involved in the misconduct.
- Ensuring the safety and protection of the victim-lawyer and his family.
Furthermore, the Bar Association announced plans to file a petition before the High Court, advocating for the transfer of the investigation outside Punjab and the suspension of the remaining police officials.
“Future course of action will be intimated till then the work will remain suspended,”
the Association stated.
In a parallel move, the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana urged Bar Associations in Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh to “indefinitely abstain” from work starting Tuesday, standing in solidarity with the victim, a member of the Bar Association of Sri Muktsar Sahib. The Council’s demands resonate with the HCBA’s, emphasizing the transfer of the investigation to an independent agency in Haryana or Chandigarh, the immediate cancellation of the FIR against the lawyer, and the registration of an FIR against the accused police officials. They also called for the immediate suspension of the SSP at Sri Muktsar Sahib.
The incident has sparked significant unrest within the legal community, highlighting the urgent need for justice and accountability.