Delhi Police has paused the L-G’s notification allowing cops to depose from police stations via video conferencing. Lawyers, who protested for six days, have now called off their strike after assurance of talks with the Union Home Minister.
New Delhi: More than two weeks after Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor (L-G) V K Saxena issued a controversial order allowing the police to present evidence in courts directly from police stations through video conferencing, the Delhi Police has now decided to pause the move.
The order will not be implemented immediately, and action will only be taken after the Union Home Ministry listens to all stakeholders.
The breakthrough in the deadlock came after Union Home Minister Amit Shah agreed to personally meet representatives of the Bar. Following this assurance, the agitation was suspended. Bar leaders in their joint statement confirmed that demonstrations and work abstention would remain suspended
“till the final outcome of the discussions and deliberations with Amit Shah.”
Lawyers had labelled the August 13 notification a “Kala Kanoon”, warning that it diluted open court principles, weakened transparency, and disproportionately empowered the police.
They argued that compelling police depositions from within police stations would severely restrict effective cross-examination.
The Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA) on August 27 also strongly condemned the notification, cautioning that it risked creating a dangerous “perception of institutional imbalance.”
In its statement, the association stressed,
“Even if conducted through electronic means, the venue and atmosphere of testimony matter significantly to the public’s faith in its independence.”
Meanwhile, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has already been filed in the Delhi High Court challenging the legality and constitutional validity of the notification.
The plea contends that the order undermines the fundamental right to a fair trial under Article 21 of the Constitution by allowing prosecution witnesses, who are police officials, to testify from within their own official precincts.
The Bar Council of India (BCI) has also urged immediate withdrawal of the order, arguing that testimony from police stations would compromise the rights of the accused and weaken judicial control over trials.
The August 13 notification, issued under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, amended a previous notification dated July 17, 2024, to designate all 226 police stations in Delhi as official video-conferencing centres.
This includes territorial police stations, as well as specialised units such as Cyber Police, Metro, Railways, Vigilance, Economic Offences Wing, and Crimes Against Women.
Quoting the notification, the Lieutenant Governor had stated that
“the amendment came into force with immediate effect.”
However, Bar associations across Delhi, including the Delhi High Court Bar Association and the Supreme Court Bar Association, unanimously opposed the measure.
The DHCBA warned,
“The Executive Committee of the Delhi High Court Bar Association is of the firm view that the said notification ought to be withdrawn as it is against the basic tenets of justice and the principle of fair trial. Its implementation will jeopardise the trial process and adversely impact the outcome of such trials.”
The Supreme Court Bar Association went further, describing the move as “arbitrary, unlawful, and against the principles of natural justice.”
With the strike having disrupted proceedings across Delhi’s courts, several cases were adjourned while only urgent custody matters were taken up. Advocates have maintained that unless the notification is withdrawn, they are prepared to resume their agitation on an indefinite scale.
This development comes after lawyers across the Capital staged continuous protests, demanding that the notification be withdrawn.
Their strike had paralysed court functioning for the last six days. However, following the Delhi Police’s decision to keep the directive on hold, the lawyers have now decided to call off their strike.
A statement released from the office of the Commissioner of Police made the official stand clear.
It said,
“It has been decided that the Union Home Minister would meet the representatives of the Bar to discuss the issue with an open mind.” The statement further added, “In the meantime, the operation of the said notification on the ground would only be carried out after hearing all stakeholders.”
Earlier, the lawyers were preparing to intensify their protest by marching from the Tis Hazari Court complex to the residence of the L-G.
Their main opposition was to a notification issued on 13 August 2025 by the Government of NCT (National Capital Territory) of Delhi.
The notification had designated all police stations in Delhi as official places where police personnel could present evidence and depose before courts virtually through video conferencing.
DHCBA leaders stated that this assurance came following a meeting with the Union Home Ministry, where it was conveyed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah himself would meet representatives of the Bar to resolve their concerns.
In his statement, Commissioner Golcha said,
“the operation of the said notification on the ground would be carried out after hearing all stakeholders.”
The notification had designated all 226 police stations in Delhi as video-conferencing centres for police officers to depose before courts, in line with the draft model rules of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, with the stated objective to “improve efficiency and save time.”
However, lawyers across Delhi strongly opposed the move, arguing that it “undermines fair trial standards” and could potentially “manipulate evidence.”
Over the past week, they staged sit-ins outside court complexes and boycotted proceedings, demanding the withdrawal of the order.
The DHCBA had condemned the order last Friday, while the Supreme Court Bar Association described it as a direct threat to judicial independence.
On Monday, the Bar Council of India also wrote to L-G Saxena, pressing for an immediate withdrawal and warning that remote police testimony could weaken judicial control over proceedings and increase the chances of procedural lapses.
While the order aimed at reducing time and logistical issues faced by the police in physically appearing before courts, lawyers expressed strong concerns.
Members of the Bar Association argued that such a move would disturb the balance of the justice system, compromise fair trial principles, and reduce transparency.
The Co-ordination Committee of All District Courts Bar Association of Delhi had also formally opposed the order. In a letter dated August 18, 2025, they wrote to Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, raising objections.
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Later, on August 20, 2025, they sent another representation to L-G Saxena, reiterating their demand to roll back the notification.
Now, with the police deciding to wait until consultations are held with the Union Home Ministry and the Bar, the immediate crisis has been averted. Lawyers have called off their strike, and court functioning in Delhi is expected to return to normal, at least for the time being.
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