Lawyers call off strike but litigants suffer

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, March 14

Litigants visiting the district courts are a harried lot as hearings in several cases have not been conducted for the past three days owing to the ongoing strike by lawyers. As a result, the cases of litigants are being adjourned. 

Notably, in their bid to express resentment over the anti-encroachment drive conducted outside the District Courts Complex, the lawyers have been observing a strike for the past three days.                             

Parminder Singh, a resident of Nehianwala village, said, “Owing to the ongoing strike by lawyers, the advocate handling my property dispute case on Thursday refused to take up my case. As a result, the judge adjourned the hearing for the next week. Now, I have to visit the district courts again from my village.”

As the lawyers did not take up cases, a number of litigants got miffed over the decision of strike by them.

A group of litigants said there must be a provision that even if there was a strike, the lawyers must take up important cases for hearing so that litigants did not have to suffer. 

Meanwhile, the District Bar Association convened a meeting in which it was decided to accommodate the advocates whose makeshift offices were removed during the anti-encroachment drive.

Talking to Bathinda Tribune, Harsatnam Singh Dhillon, vice-president, District Bar Association, said, “The work of constructing C-block at the District Courts Complex will start soon. We will accommodate the advocates, whose makeshift officers were removed during the anti-encroachment drive, in the chambers of the new building. We have called off our strike on Thursday and the lawyers are expected to resume work on Friday.” 

The indefinite dharna by shop or vend owners and notary operators entered the  fourth day at the site where the anti-encroachment drive was carried out by the MC. 

Vijay Singh, a vend owner, said, “The vend owners met the Finance Minister, Manpreet Badal, and demanded a place to resume their work. He has asked us to meet him in his office on Friday to work out a solution to the matter.”