A Delhi court has directed the Delhi Police to preserve the CCTV footage of the clashes between the police and the lawyers at Tis Hazari court premises here on November 2.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Jitendra Singh also directed the Delhi Police to file a compliance report stating the action taken by it in connection with the FIRs registered after the clashes.
The order was passed on an application by the Delhi Bar Association seeking a status report on the FIRs and issuance of directions for the arrest of the accused persons. They had also sought the preservation of the CCTV footage.
"The investigating agency is required to preserve all the relevant CCTV footages available in and around the place of incident, as, undoubtedly they are a crucial piece of evidence which can aid in verifying the allegations and counter-allegations of advocates and police," the court observed.
Delhi Bar Association (DBA) President N C Gupta alleged that a "proper" and "fair" probe in the matter is not taking place. However, the Delhi Police has denied the claims of the petitioner and stated that a "fair" probe is taking place and efforts are also being made to expedite the same.
A minor argument between a lawyer and some policemen over parking at the Tis Hazari court complex in New Delhi on November 2 flared up and led to violence and arson. It also left a lawyer with a bullet injury.
What happened at the Tis Hazari Court?
The whole issue started on November 2, when a scuffle broke out between lawyers and the Delhi Police at the Tis Hazari Court Complex in the national capital. It is reported that the matter snowballed after a minor altercation over parking space between the police personnel and lawyers. Which eventually turned into mob-violence and arson outside the court complex.
On one hand, the lawyers allege that the police opened fire at them while on the other hand, around 20 policemen and several lawyers were injured and multiple vehicles were damaged following the scuffle. A day later, the Delhi High Court ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident by a team including a retired judge, Directors of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Intelligence Bureau and Vigilance.
(With IANS inputs)
