The Delhi High Court has dismissed as not maintainable a writ petition by a group of advocates, represented by Prashant Bhushan, seeking a CBI or independent probe into an alleged assault on protesting advocates at the Bar Council of India premises in August 2026, in which they wanted the role of BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra examined. The Court held that the petitioners had an alternate efficacious remedy in a complaint to the Magistrate, that the conduct alleged made out at most a non-cognizable offence, and disapproved the submission that the Delhi Police would not act fairly because the respondent is a ruling-party MP.
The Allahabad High Court has set aside a Magistrate’s order summoning an accused on a police charge-sheet under Sections 298 and 504 IPC, holding that since those offences are non-cognizable, the charge-sheet must, under the Explanation to Section 2(d) CrPC, be treated as a complaint and decided as a complaint case. The case arose from an FIR over a store’s alleged instruction to employees to wear a ‘Santa Claus red cap’; the Court also warned against workplace directions that hurt religious sentiments.
The Allahabad High Court cautioned police against mechanically registering FIRs in non-cognizable cases and mandated accountability. It directed action against informants for false complaints, warning that failure to proceed may invite legal consequences and departmental action against erring officers.
