District Bar Association strikes work over ‘mishandling’ of lawyers in Faridabad

Faridabad, April 25

A majority of the lawyers owing allegiance to the District Bar Association (DBA) and practising in District Courts, Faridabad, went on strike on Tuesday in support of their demands. The Bar members are seeking the withdrawal of an FIR against its president and other lawyers, as well as the arrest of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials for their alleged manhandling and misbehaving with lawyers during a recent incident that occurred on the court premises.

Resentment against arrest of reader, ahlmad

All Bar members participated in the sit-in protest and refused to work in court in reaction to alleged misbehaviour of ACB officials with some of the advocates during the arrest of a reader and an ahlmad of the court on charges of taking bribe during a raid on April 17. Rajesh Bainsla, President, District Bar Association

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Rajesh Bainsla, DBA president, claimed that the strike was a total success, and it would persist indefinitely if their demands were not met. He added that all members participated in the sit-in protest and refused to work in court in reaction to alleged misbehaviour of ACB officials with some of the advocates during the arrest of a reader and an ahlmad of the court on charges of taking bribe during a raid on April 17.

Bainsla accused the ACB of manhandling and misbehaving with the lawyers during the production of the accused later. He further claimed that documents were torn, and one of the arrested employees was mistreated during interrogation. He also stated that despite filing a complaint against the ACB team, no arrest has been made, causing resentment among the Bar members.

OP Sharma, a senior lawyer and Bar member, announced that the agitation might persist until the FIR lodged against the Bar president and 35 others was quashed. He demanded the arrest of the officials involved in the incident, accusing the ACB of wrongfully conducting a raid in the court premises.

It may be recalled that the ACB had arrested one Hansraj, a reader of the court, and Sumit Kumar, who worked as an ahlmad in the court complex, for accepting bribes of Rs 2,000 and 3,000, respectively, to expedite the disposal of a traffic challan The ACB raid was carried out in response to a complaint lodged by Rishi Pal and Vikrant, advocates practising in the court.