Court shunts Jaipur cops, orders probe in clashes

Inquiry into skirmishes between lawyers, policemen

 The Rajasthan High Court has asked the government to shift nine police officers in Jaipur until a probe into the clashes between police and lawyers in the district court compound in Bani Park on Thursday is complete.

Police had fired tear gas shells at a group of protesting lawyers, following which the lawyers resorted to arson and violence at the district court near the collectorate.
They were protesting against the lathicharge by police on lawyers who had marched to the state Assembly on Wednesday.

A division bench of Chief Justice Amitav Roy and Justice Ajay Rastogi, while hearing a petition by advocate Mahendra Shyandilya, ordered a judicial probe by a sitting judge of the High Court and to submit a report within 15 days.

The court has ordered shifting of police commissioner B L Soni, additional deputy commissioner of police Raghuveer Saini, deputy inspector general Giriraj Meena, DCP Yogesh Yadav, DCP Yogesh Goyal, ACP Bajrang Sharma and three station house officers till the enquiry is complete.

Admonishing the police, the court said police cannot enter court premises anywhere in Rajasthan without permission from either a district judge or the Chief Justice in case of the High Court, so police action was a violation of norms.

On Thursday, a police post near the city collectorate and some police vehicles were set on fire by protesting lawyers. Police had to fire tear gas at the crowd to bring the situation under control.

At least 37 policemen and 18 lawyers were injured, and a number of cars parked in the vicinity were damaged.

Lawyers have been holding protests for the past two days demanding several welfare measures, including a housing scheme and a monthly stipend for new lawyers.
The court order has now created widespread discontentment in Jaipur police.

According to sources, policemen refused to take meals at Police Lanes on Friday in protest against the court order as they feel the lawyers were equally violent.

The Bar Council of India has also given a call for a nationwide strike by lawyers on March 11, said advocate Sanjay Sharma, president of the Bar Council of Rajasthan.