The Hon’ble High Court of New Delhi vide order dated 01.06.2020 has granted the enquiry commission an extension till 31.12.2020 to complete the enquiry in the matter relating to the brawl that took place between advocates and policemen at Tis Hazari Court.
On 02.11.2019 a parking dispute between an on- duty policeman and a lawyer triggered the clash between numerous lawyers and police officials, leaving over 20 policemen and several advocated badly injured. The Delhi High Court on 03.11.2019 had taken Suo Moto cognizance of the happening, wherein an enquiry commission was set up to probe the clash.
In a press release issued thereafter, the Bar Council of India had condemned the Delhi police for brutally firing at lawyers in Tis Hazari Court, on the issue of car parking.
In 2019, the court had constituted a judicial enquiry headed by Justice SP Garg, retired judge of the Delhi High Court, to investigate into the Tis Hazari clash matter and directed to submit its report in 6 weeks.
The Hon’ble High Court of New Delhi vide an interim order in 2019, protected lawyers from any action regarding FIRs lodged against them until the completion of the judicial probe. Similar orders were also passed in favour of two policemen against whom FIRs were lodged in connection with the incident of the clash.
In the present order, the division bench comprising of Hon’ble Chief Justice Dhirubhai Naranbhai Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan referred to the interim report submitted by the enquiry commission which stated that judicial enquiry over the said incident had already begun and that except for a few others, 124 witnesses have been examined till date.
In view of the nationwide lockdown imposed, the commission sought extension of time to complete the enquiry proceedings in the present matter.
Considering the present scenario in the country, the Hon’ble Coram decided to grant an extension period until 31.12.2020 for completion of the enquiry and thereby directed to submit the final report after the prescribed period.
