NEW DELHI: In a big relief to litigants, lawyers in Delhi’s lower courts on Monday called off their strike after Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha issued orders directing all policemen to give evidence in criminal courts in person – a key demand by the agitating advocates.
Police chief Golcha’s order, effectively, partially dilutes the earlier plan to allow busy policemen to appear before judges in all cases – both criminal and civil - via video-conferencing.
V.K. Singh, chairman of the Coordination Committee of All District Courts Bar Associations of Delhi, issued a circular on Monday withdrawing the call for abstinence from work.
He said, “Since a circular has been issued from the office of the Commissioner of Police that in all criminal trials, all police officials/personnel shall physically appear before the Court for deposition/evidence… the call for abstinence from work is being withdrawn.”
Coordination Committee’s Secretary General Anil Kumar Basoya justified the decision to end the agitation and said, in a statement, “Since our demand for direction of police officials to appear physically in courts for deposition/evidence has been met with, the call for abstinence from work is being withdrawn.”
At the root of the lawyers’ protest is an August 13 notification issued by Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena allowing Delhi Police personnel to give evidence before judges from police stations through video conferencing.
The advocates opposed the plan and said they want the physical appearance of police officers in courts to ensure fair and free trials for litigants. Last month, they went on strike for six days in protest against the LG’s notification.
The lawyers stepped up their agitation on September 4 when the Police Commissioner’s office sent a letter to principal district and sessions judges over the virtual appearance of their personnel in courts.
The September 4 order of the police chief has now been amended through a new circular stating that, instead of virtual appearance, policemen will have to go to the court and testify in criminal trials.