JOIN USSummoned lawyer arrested for court violence, gets bail
One of the three lawyers summoned by Delhi Police for questioning was arrested and released on bail on Saturday.
Om Sharma was summoned along with lawyers Vikram Chauhan and Yashpal Singh for allegedly assaulting journalists and JNU students at Patiala House Courts Complex on February 15 and 17.
“Om Sharma went to Tilak Marg police station. He was questioned and released on bail from the police station,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Jatin Narwal.
The three lawyers face a case under sections 147 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 427 (mischief causing damage) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
They were not named in the FIR, but have been zeroed in as prime suspects based on evidence from videos.
If Chauhan and Singh fail to join the probe, police are likely to move court seeking warrant against them this week.
In his questioning, Sharma admitted that he was at the court when the attacks took place. He has a chamber at Patiala House Courts Complex and District Court Saket.
Sharma told police that he was pushed in the courtroom of Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen on February 15.
“He claims the situation then went out of control. He alleges that students inside the courtroom were raising slogans because of which they were angry,” Narwal added.
Despite being caught on cameras, lawyer Vikram Chauhan claims that he was responding to provocations by ‘anti-national elements’. Sharma told police that Chauhan has been consulting his seniors and planning to apply for an anticipatory bail.
Yashpal Singh, who was also seen assaulting students, has been a lawyer for 15 years, and earlier served as Delhi Bar Association’s additional secretary.
It is alleged that they also attacked JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar inside the court on February 17. Kumar was being escorted to the courtroom when he was attacked.
Earlier on February 18, BJP MLA OP Mishra was also arrested and released on bail after he responded to a summon.