Delhi high court refuses to take suo motu cognisance of suspended ACP’s remarks on lawyers

A group of lawyers urged the Delhi high court to take suo motu cognisance of the incident, saying that derogatory language was used against the legal fraternity

The Delhi high court on Tuesday declined to take suo motu cognisance of the alleged misconduct and derogatory remarks made against lawyers by suspended assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Manasvi Vashishtha during a protest outside the Delhi Police Headquarters over his transfer.

A bench of acting chief justice Nitin Sambre and justice Sanjay Sharma asked the lawyers to file a petition seeking action, assured them they would look into it and get the same listed.

“File a formal petition; we will look into it. You file it; we will order listing. I assure you we will get listed and look into it. AAP representation dijiye, we are a court of record. What do you mean suo moto? Whatever material is there with you, let it be submitted with the registry. We assure you we will look into it," the court told the lawyers.

What the lawyers asked the court

This was after a group of lawyers urged the Delhi high court to take suo motu cognisance of the incident, saying that derogatory language was used against the legal fraternity and they were threatening to use arms such as AK-47s.

“You are our chief; if you take suo motu cognisance, we will be assured,” the lawyers submitted.

A protest was held outside the Delhi Police headquarters on Monday, with scores of Delhi Police officers, including the recently transferred Gandhi Nagar ACP, seeking a meeting with police commissioner Anurag Kumar over the recent face-off with Shahdara lawyers. ACP Manasvi Vashishtha was suspended following the protest.

The controversy stems from an October 23 incident at Shahdara police station, following an alleged assault on advocate Lalit Bansal, who suffered a serious head injury. An FIR was registered on a complaint by advocate Amulya Ratan.

According to the lawyers' account, several advocates visited the police station that evening to seek action against those named in the assault case.

They alleged that ACP Vashishtha and the station house officer assured them that the accused, who were present at the police station, would be arrested. However, the lawyers learnt the following day that the accused had not been arrested and had reportedly been released.

When the advocates returned to the police station to question the handling of the case, Vashishtha allegedly displayed his revolver and threatened and intimidated them, the bar bodies alleged.

The police, however, have offered a counter-version, saying the confrontation followed a dispute between two groups over a motorcycle-related incident.

A separate case was registered for alleged misbehaviour with police personnel on duty, while the allegation that the ACP pointed his service weapon at the advocates was under investigation.

On Monday, the Central Delhi court bar association wrote to the Delhi Police Commissioner, demanding the registration of a criminal case against Vashishtha for his alleged misconduct and derogatory remarks against lawyers during a protest outside the Delhi Police headquarters over his transfer. The bar members sought an independent and time-bound inquiry into the incident, the representation said.

Meanwhile, the Rohini court bar association on Tuesday withdrew its call for an abstention from work strike, following Vashishtha’s suspension.