HC seeks report on status of probe into attack on lawyers

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 25

A day after the Punjab and Haryana High Court took suo motu cognisance of an attack on three lawyers at an eatery in Panchkula, a three-Judge Bench today called for a report on the status of investigation after asserting that the matter was of serious nature.

The Bench comprising Chief Justice Krishna Murari, Justice Ajay Kumar Mittal and Justice Rajiv Sharma also called for status report in “a similar incident repeated yesterday with another member of the Bar”.

As the suo motu or “Court on its own motion” case against the State of Haryana and other respondents came up for hearing, the Bench observed that the public interest litigation had been registered in respect of an incident brought to its notice by means of a letter received in the Chief Justice’s Secretariat on April 24.

Its perusal showed that the matter was of serious nature and the members of the Bar were on protest.

Issuing a notice of motion to the State of Haryana, the Bench asserted: “Let a status report be filed with regard to the investigation in the first information report of the incident registered with the Police Post, Sector 5, Panchkula. The status report shall be on an affidavit of a member of the SIT constituted by the Director-General of Police, Haryana, to investigate into the matter”.

The case will now come up for further hearing on Friday.

The agitation was sparked off by incidents of assault that took place on the intervening night of April 21 and 22 when three young advocates were allegedly attacked by some individuals at a dhaba in Sector 10, Panchkula. During the attack, one of the advocates sustained head injury.

Notice of motion

Issuing a notice of motion to the State of Haryana, the Bench asserted: “Let a status report be filed with regard to the investigation in the first information report of the incident registered with the Police Post, Sector 5, Panchkula. The status report shall be on an affidavit of a member of the SIT constituted by the Director-General of Police, Haryana, to investigate into the matter.”