The Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association has announced that an FIR has been registered by the Punjab Police against officials of CIA-1, Hisar, in connection with the alleged assault of an advocate at Nayagaon. However, the legal fraternity has decided to continue its abstention from work, stating that their core demands have not yet been met.
Bar Association's Unmet Demands
In a notice issued by its honorary secretary, Gagandeep Jammu, the Bar Association stated that while the FIR is a step forward, it has been registered against unknown persons. The executive committee has put forth specific demands that must be fulfilled before work resumes. These include the explicit naming of the concerned police officials in the FIR, the addition of appropriate penal sections to the case, and the transfer or suspension of the concerned Station House Officer (SHO) of Nayagaon police station.
The association has called for a meeting of its general house on December 18 at 1 pm to deliberate on these developments. It has placed on record its appreciation for the unity and discipline shown by its members during the ongoing protest.
High Court's Suo Motu Intervention
This development follows the Punjab and Haryana High Court's suo motu cognisance of the incident. The court had taken note of the alleged assault on advocate Amit Duhan by plainclothes Haryana Police personnel at Nayagaon on November 30. During the hearing, the bench, led by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, directed the Punjab Director General of Police to file an affidavit within 24 hours. The court sought an explanation for why no FIR had been registered despite the complaint disclosing cognisable offences.
Bar Association president S S Narula informed the court that the general house had resolved not to resume work until an FIR was registered. He also highlighted repeated grievances against the Nayagaon police station, alleging consistent inaction on complaints filed by advocates involving serious offences.
The Path Forward and Public Impact
While the Bar Association noted that competent authorities have assured expedited action, the lawyers' body remains firm on its stance. The notice clearly states that the abstention from work will continue until all demands are fully met. This ongoing protest is causing significant inconvenience to litigants, a point acknowledged by Chief Justice Nagu, who urged lawyers to resume work at the earliest.
The case has escalated from a local incident to a major point of contention between the legal community and the police administration, drawing direct intervention from the High Court. The outcome of the general house meeting and the subsequent actions of the police will determine when normalcy returns to the courts.
