Chandigarh, April 24, 2019: A culmination of efforts of the Chief Justice of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, the Executive Members of the Bar Association, the Advocates General of Punjab & Haryana as well as Director General of Police, Haryana, saw the current impasse at the High Court moving to a resolution.
Given the strike from work called for the Bar Association, yesterday, and further to meetings held, the demands of the legal fraternity that the offence under Section 307 of the IPC be added to the FIR was complied with and two persons arrested.
However, given the fact that the owner of the Dhaba and the actual perpetrators along with the erring Police officials were not yet arrested, the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association again took up the matter with the Chief Justice at 9:30 am on 24.04.2019 who were assured that the matter would be strictly dealt with in accordance with law and those involved/responsible would be arrested at the earliest and offence under Section 365 of the IPC would be added.
Additionally, it was decided during deliberations with the Chief Justice that the grievance of the lawyers would be submitted in writing to the Chief Justice and the future course of action to be taken up would be conveyed after the Executive Committee of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association assembles at 11:00 am on 25.04.2019.
Speaking on the matter, Dr. Dayal Pratap Randhawa, the President of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association said “The respect and dignity of each member of Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association would be of paramount importance and they would work selflessly to make sure that the safety and security of the members of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association is assured at each and every cost”. This was supplemented by Vice President, Vinay Malik.
“The steps necessary to ensure that culprits are brought to book would be taken” Secretary Rohit Sud was unequivocal in his contention that “In case the police officials tried to shield the guilty then he had messages from the entire Bar Associations of the country to support their cause and would result in a nation wide strike,” added Malik.
In the wake of the brutal attack the entire legal fraternity condemned it and most of the District Bar Associations in unity with the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association abstained from work and continue to support the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association by way of resolutions condemning this unfortunate incident.The above agitation is being supported by the various District Bar Associations with the President of District Bar Association stating that they are in unison with Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association and would support their cause till the time the actual perpetrators of the crime are arrested and dealt with appropriately.
The President of the District Bar Association, Chandigarh stated while condemning the brutal attack on their brother lawyers that the District Bar Association would stand by the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association.
The agitation was sparked off by the incidents of assault which took place on the intervening nights of April 21 and 22, 2019 when at around 1:30 a.m., three young Advocates practising in the High Court of Punjab & Haryana High Court were brutally attacked by some individuals at a Dhaba/Restaurant located in Sector-10, Panchkula. During such attack one of the Advocates who was a former Treasurer of Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association received severe head injuries, who was declined medical treatment in a Government Civil Hospital Panchkula and who had to receive such medical treatment in a private Hospital.
This incident was dealt by the concerned State Police officials in a dispassionate and unresponsive manner which is reflected by the fact that despite one of the Advocates receiving head injuries, no case under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code was added to the FIR. Furthermore, when the office bearers of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association called upon the concerned investigating officers around 2:30 a.m. on the night of the incident in order to impress upon them to deal with the matter in accordance with law, however to no effect.