The Union ministry of home affairs suspended ACP Manasvi Vashishta after he joined a protest outside the Police Headquarters. On Tuesday, the Rohini Court Bar Association withdrew its work boycott call. Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court asked lawyers to file a formal petition to address the officer’s controversial conduct.
The suspension of ACP Manasvi Vashishta prompted the Rohini Court Bar Association on Tuesday to withdraw its call for a work boycott and ask lawyers to resume regular judicial work.
The Union ministry of home affairs suspended the officer with immediate effect after he joined police personnel protesting outside the Police Headquarters against the transfer of two officers, police sources said.
The bar association had called on its members to abstain from work on November 3 over Vashishta’s remarks against lawyers during the demonstration.
“Taking note of the aforesaid development and the action taken by the police administration, the Executive Committee of the Rohini Court Bar Association has decided to call off the protest and withdraw the call for abstention from work with immediate effect,” the association said in a circular issued on Tuesday.
It requested members to resume regular judicial work and said court proceedings would continue as usual.
The association thanked members for their unity and cooperation and said it would continue to seek accountability whenever the dignity and interests of the legal fraternity were compromised.
The notice was signed by association president Rajiv Tehlan and honorary secretary Pardeep Khatri, among other office-bearers.
Police sources said further details of the action against Vashishta were awaited.
Delhi High Court asks lawyers to file formal plea over ACP’s conduct
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday declined a request by a group of lawyers to take suo motu cognisance of Vashishta’s conduct and asked them to file a formal petition with supporting material.
A bench of acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma said it would examine the issue once a petition was placed before it.
“We are a court of record, and we must have something before us,” the bench said. “Whatever material is there with you, give it in the form of a petition and submit it with the registry so that it can be brought before the court for looking into it.”
The advocates told the bench that remarks referring to the “use of AK-47” and “kale coat ke gunde” (goons in black coats) had been made against lawyers.
“You are our chief. If you take suo motu cognisance of the issue, we will be assured,” one of the lawyers submitted.
The controversy stemmed from an October 23 incident at Shahdara police station, where advocate Lalit Bansal allegedly sustained a serious head injury during a scuffle.
A subsequent confrontation between lawyers and police personnel prompted district court lawyers to launch an indefinite strike.
On October 28, Delhi Police transferred Vashishta, then posted as the sub-divisional police officer in Gandhi Nagar, to the Special Police Unit for Women and Children. Inspector Arun Kumar, then the Shahdara station house officer, was transferred to the security unit.
The transfers followed lawyers’ demands for action against officers allegedly responsible for the assault on Bansal and the subsequent confrontation. The lawyers then called off their strike.
Further controversy erupted on Monday when Vashishta and a group of police personnel protested outside the Police Headquarters against the transfers. Remarks made against lawyers during the demonstration triggered the latest boycott call.