The strike paralyzing Delhi’s district courts has been called off. On Monday evening, the Coordination Committee of All District Court Bar Associations of Delhi announced the immediate withdrawal of their strike, clearing the way for lawyers to return to work on Tuesday.
The breakthrough came after the Delhi High Court took swift disciplinary action against Northwest District Judge Rakesh Kumar, following an alleged altercation with an advocate at the Rohini Courts complex.
The Decisive Intervention
The dispute escalated rapidly over the weekend, prompting the Delhi High Court to intervene on Sunday. The High Court transferred Judge Kumar from his post at the Rohini Courts complex and attached him to the Director of the Delhi Judicial Academy in a “diverted capacity.”
Following this action, the lawyers’ coordination committee held an emergency meeting on Monday. In a circular released afterward, Secretary General Vijay Bishnoi confirmed that the committee had unanimously resolved to resume judicial work.
“Both the bar and the bench have always upheld the dignity and decorum of the judicial institution,” the circular stated, adding that neither side can support actions that bring disrepute to the judiciary or damage their professional relationship.
Tarun Rana, the coordinator of the committee, emphasized that cooperation is a two-way street. “Maintaining smooth relations among the bar and bench is a joint responsibility,” Rana said. “Advocates are also officers of the court and expect reciprocal respect, which they pay to judicial officers.”
The Spark: A Viral Courtroom Altercation
The dispute originated from a May 15 incident at the Rohini Court complex, where an alleged verbal spat occurred between Judge Kumar and a local advocate. A video recording of the confrontation subsequently surfaced and spread rapidly across social media platforms.
In response to the incident, the coordination committee demanded immediate disciplinary action against the judge and initiated a strike on Monday, temporarily halting standard court operations.
Judicial Association Condemns ‘Clandestine’ Video and Strike
While the strike has ended, the incident has exposed deep friction between local advocates and judicial officers. On Sunday, the Judicial Service Association of Delhi issued a strongly-worded statement expressing “profound anguish” over the event.
The association directed its sharpest criticism toward the secret recording of the courtroom spat, calling it a “direct assault on the dignity, independence and majesty of the judicial institution.”
“The clandestine recording of judicial proceedings and making the same viral on social media platforms is not merely an act of gross impropriety,” the association stated, warning that such actions are designed to scandalize courts and subject judicial officers to public vilification.
The Judicial Service Association also condemned the lawyers’ decision to strike, noting that court boycotts violate established Supreme Court law. The association argued that strikes “hold the litigant public hostage” and paralyze the justice delivery system.
Expressing “unequivocal solidarity” with Judge Kumar and other judicial officers, the group called on the High Court to order the deletion of the confrontation video clips from all social media platforms.
