The Allahabad High Court Bar Association has taken serious note of the police brutality against lawyers who were barred from entering the court premises due to barricading at the Hindu Hostel intersection. The incident was brought to the attention of the Chief Justice by the Bar President, Anil Tiwari, who mentioned it during a session. The Chief Justice has asked for a written submission to be considered further.
In a letter to the Chief Justice, the Bar Association detailed that due to the Mahakumbh festival and anticipated traffic disruptions, they had proposed on January 10 that travel would be restricted a day before and after each bathing festival, impacting lawyers’ ability to reach the court. They had requested holidays for these days, which was initially met with no adverse order from the Chief Justice and the High Court administration.
Despite the administration’s order not to hinder lawyers, police at the Hindu Hostel intersection stopped them on January 13, claiming a program for the Chief Minister warranted such action. Despite showing the police the order that they should not be stopped, lawyers were not only prevented from proceeding but were also subjected to verbal and physical abuse by the police.
The altercation escalated as a large number of lawyers gathered to protest, leading to more severe mistreatment by the police, including tearing lawyers’ bands, clothes, and files. Videos of the incident have gone viral on social media, showing police misconduct and cruelty.
Given the severity of the situation and the outrage among lawyers, the police administration has suspended a junior officer involved, though many senior officers were also present. No action has been taken against them. The complaint by the Bar Association has cited this as a violation of human rights and an interference in judicial processes, demanding that the letter be accepted as a public interest litigation to initiate departmental and legal action against all police officers involved.
The Bar Association has also demanded that FIRs be filed against the guilty officers, identifying and dismissing them from service to ensure no police personnel directly engage in such misconduct against lawyers in the future. They have also called for appropriate directives to be issued to the Director-General of Police to prevent such incidents.
