Lawyers of the Supreme Court launched a protest march on Monday from gate number C of the apex court to the India Gate against the “police attack” on the advocates in Tis Hazari Court on Saturday.

The march was led by the Rajesh Kumar Khanna President of Supreme Court Bar Association, which was accompanied by Senior Executive of Supreme Court Bar Association Bhim Singh and senior members of Delhi Court Bar Association along with hundred other advocates.

While addressing the media at India Gate, Rajesh Kumar Khanna said, “The march is in protest against the inhuman act by police under which they entered the chambers of lawyers and thrashed them brutally.”

“The government should provide compensation to the lawyers who were injured in the Tis Hazari Court, and the money should be deducted from the salaries of the police personnel involved,” Khanna said.

“We also demand compensation for the lawyers whose chambers and vehicles were damaged by the police,” he added.

“The senior police authority who ordered the lathi-charge on the lawyers should be suspended by the government. The false cases that are lodged against the advocates regarding the incident should be withdrawn by the police with immediate effect,” he said.

A senior member of Delhi Bar Court Association, Ramesh Gupta, said that this is the second brutal attack on the Tis Hazari Court lawyers after the one ordered by the then Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Kiran Bedi in 1988.

He further said that the Lawyers Protection Act, which the Madhya Pradesh government has planned to implement in the state, should be enacted by the Central government as well.

He promised that the Delhi Bar Court Association will give Rs 2 lakh each to those who are seriously injured while Rs 50,000 to those who suffered minor injuries during the scuffle.

Vishnu Sharma, a senior member of Delhi Court Bar Association said, “We want the police personnel who attacked the lawyers to be immediately arrested and legal action be taken against them. If any common person had done the same with a police personnel, then the situation would have been different, but just because they are police, doesn’t make them immune from the legal proceedings.”

“There is no statement from the Delhi Police Commissioner, Lieutenant Governor or the Home Minister on the incident, which is condemnable,” he added.

Jatan Singh, Vice President of Delhi High Court Bar Association said, “On Saturday when the incident happened, the victim Vijay Varma was campaigning with me in the court premises. With the aim to demand the release of one of his fellow lawyer who was locked up by the police, he started sloganeering. During the process, the police opened fire at the lawyers which is highly condemnable.”

He said that the lawyers “didn’t do anything wrong and that it was the police who initiated the attack and later a herd of 2000 to 3000 personnel attacked and vandalized the chambers of the advocates in the court premises”.

He said that the Delhi High Court Bar Association will support all the steps taken by the Supreme Court Bar Association in the regard.

Rajesh Kumar Khanna also donated 1 lakh to the victim Vijay Verma in his individual capacity as the President of SC bar association.

On Saturday, a clash broke out in between the police and lawyers of Tis Hazari Court over a parking issue. Advocate Vijay Verma was shot during the clash and several other lawyers and police personnel were injured.