Delhi Police personnel on Tuesday gathered outside the police headquarters at ITO to protest against the clash with lawyers at the Tis Hazari court complex.
Policemen were holding placards that read “We are human in police uniforms” and “Protectors Need Protection”. They urged their seniors to stand with them.
One of the protesting police officials told NDTV if senior officials did not listen to their demands, junior officials were helpless.
Lawyers and police clashed at the Tis Hazari Court complex on Saturday during which at least 20 police personnel and several lawyers were injured while many vehicles vandalised or set on fire, PTI quoted officials as saying.
Following the clash, the Delhi High Court on Sunday ordered a judicial inquiry and transfer of two senior police officials during the pendency of the investigation. The court also ordered Delhi government to give compensation to injured lawyers.
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The bench, after hearing various lawyers’ associations, directed that no coercive action would be taken against any lawyer on the basis of FIRs lodged at the behest of police officials.
An on-duty policeman was thrashed by advocates outside the Saket Court on Monday. In a video of the purported incident, lawyers were seen beating up the policeman who was riding a bike. One of the lawyer was also seen slapping the policeman.
When the policeman was leaving the spot, the lawyer also hit his bike with his helmet.
Another protesting policeman told Hindustan Times that they expected senior officers to take a stand for them in court and elsewhere. “Lawyers beat us up and taunted us even on Monday. We couldn’t even defend ourselves out of fear that we would be suspended or dismissed,” said another.
Indian Police Service Association tweeted in support of the protesting cops:
Report sent to MHA
The Union Home Ministry on Tuesday received a report from Delhi Police on the clash between lawyers and police at the Tis Hazari court.
It is a factual report in which Delhi Police has given details of the circumstances leading to Saturday’s incident and the action taken after it, a Home Ministry official told PTI.
It does not cover what happened after Saturday, including an incident on Monday in which a group of lawyers assaulted a policeman outside the Saket court, he said.
What Delhi Police Commissioner said
Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik urged the protesting police personnel to return to work and said they should behave like a “disciplined force”.
“We have to behave like a disciplined force. The government and the people expect us to uphold the law, it is our big responsibility. I urge you to resume duty,” Patnaik told the police personnel, according to PTI, adding that their concerns will be addressed.
Patnaik also said an FIR has been registered in incidents where police personnel were assaulted, according to ANI.
(With PTI inputs)