New Delhi, Feb 9 The Delhi High Court on Monday sought a report on the alleged attack on a lawyer by his opposing counsel inside a courtroom in Tis Hazari, as it noted that such episodes corrode the dignity of judicial proceedings.
A three-judge bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya, Justice V Kameswar Rao and Justice Nitin Sambre heard the case after the Supreme Court asked the aggrieved lawyer to approach the high court earlier in the day.
When the lawyer urged the top court to hear his plea, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant observed that "Gunda Raj" was unacceptable.
The lawyer then mentioned his plea seeking police protection before a high court bench of Chief Justice Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Kaira, which subsequently took suo motu cognizance of the alleged incident and referred it to the three-judge bench.
"We request the Principal District & Sessions Judge to submit a report into the alleged incident after making inquiries from all concerned including the presiding officer in the court concerned," ordered the three-judge bench of the high court.
The court observed that the lawyer was said to have been "beaten and heckled" by the opposing counsel on February 7 while the door of the courtroom was bolted from inside.
It orally observed that the very sight of a lawyer appearing as a contemner eroded the dignity of the institution, and remarked, "So if we are keeping you in such a high esteem... See your conduct. This is, if I am permitted to say, shameful."
As the court questioned the conduct of lawyers in the alleged incident, Additional Solicitor General of India Chetan Sharma, who is also the chairman of the Special Committee of the Bar Council of Delhi, said a copy of the complaint could be given to the council for action in accordance with him.
"Learned counsel (appearing for the police, the high court administration and additional solicitor general of India Chetan Sharma), in unison, have expressed their concern about the reported incident and have categorically stated that such incident, if it has occurred, not only threatens the individual lawyers practicing in the court but also erodes the dignity and propriety of the proceedings of the court," the court noted.
The court also directed DCP (North), who was virtually present in the proceedings, to provide round the clock security and review the threat perception after 10 days.
Delhi Police counsel said the agency has received two rival complaints in relation to the incident and the process of registration of FIR had been initiated.
He assured that a thorough investigation shall be done after the registration of the FIR under appropriate sections of the BNS and a report shall be given to the court.
"Please investigate the matter without being pressurized from any corner whatsoever, in an independent manner so we can unearth the truth and act upon it accordingly," Chief Justice Upadhyaya told the DCP.
Earlier in the day, the aggrieved lawyer told the apex court that when he was appearing on behalf of an accused before the court of an additional district judge in Tis Hazari on February 7, the complainant's advocate, along with many goons, attacked him. He alleged that the incident happened while the district judge was sitting there.
