Tis Hazari clash: Lawyers in Delhi’s district courts call off strike

“We respect the order of the High Court so the abstinence from work is suspended, work to be resumed from Saturday. Our fight for Advocates Protection Act will continue,” said Mahavir Sharma, chairman of the organisation.

On Wednesday, the Bar Council of India (BCI) had also asked all lawyers on strike to resume court work — or face contempt proceedings. Important cases have been deferred due to non-appearance of counsels, including the judgement in the case of alleged sexual and physical assault of several girls at a shelter home in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur.

The strike continued as a meeting of members of all district courts associations, representatives of the Delhi Police and Lt Governor Anil Baijal, held on Sunday on the orders of the Delhi High Court, failed to find a resolution.

The tension between police personnel and lawyers has been building up since November 2 when a clash over a parking dispute led to at least 20 security personnel and several advocates injured. Lawyers in six district courts have been on strike since November 4 to protest against the clash.

In unprecedented protests by the Delhi Police, thousands of its personnel had laid siege outside the police headquarters for 11 hours on November 5 and staged a virtual revolt sparked by two attacks on their colleagues by the lawyers.

(Inputs from PTI)