The Delhi High court on Friday agreed to form a committee to look into the unprecedented incident of the lawyers’ lobby shouting ‘shame on you’ at the judges in the courtroom yesterday after the bench refused to provide any interim protection to Jamia’s student rioters from any coercive action, including arrest by Delhi Police.
This decision came after several senior advocates, heads of bar associations and central government lawyers mentioned before a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar the need for contempt action against those who “disrespected the judiciary”.
One senior advocate while pressing the bench to take action against those lawyers who disrespected the court said that a strong message needs to go out that such incidents will not be tolerated. He also informed the bench that the lawyers’ lobby which appeared yesterday and their clients had also resorted to vandalism outside the court.
He furthered that the people who create ruckus outside should not be allowed to do the same inside the court and intimidate the judiciary.
Another advocate, RP Luthra informed the court that he had fallen prey to the angst of the lawyers’ lobby after he raised objections for their behaviour in court. It was only due to police intervention that he got rescued, said Luthra.
After hearing all the advocates, the bench agreed on referring the matter to one of its relevant committees to undertake an inquiry.
On Thursday, as the Delhi HC turned down the petition for protection to Jamia rioters and refuse to set the next hearing at an earlier date, the situation in the courtroom took an unprecedented turn and the lawyers representing the petitioners allegedly started hooting the judges by shouting ‘shame shame’ as they moved towards their chambers.
Hearing petitions requesting the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the violence at the Jamia Millia Islamia on Sunday, the Delhi High Court bench comprising of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar, yesterday refused to provide any interim protection to student rioters from any coercive action, including arrest by Delhi Police.
The court also issued a notice to the Centre, the Delhi government and the police, asking them to file a response on a plea over Jamia Milia University incident. The court posts the matter for further hearing on February 4.
The court’s decision came while hearing six petitions seeking medical treatment and compensation for injured students in the protests against CAA over the past few days.
Delhi witnessed violent scenes on Sunday when several buses, motor-bikes and private vehicles were set ablaze during anti-CAA riots near south Delhi’s Jamia Nagar area. The Delhi police in a bid to control the frenzied mob, later entered the Jamia campus and fired tear gas shells, baton-charged and detained several rioters.