Lawyer attempts self-immolation inside courtroom

A lawyer attempted self-immolation inside a courtroom at Rohini Courts Complex on Friday. Ravinder Dabas did not suffer burns, police said.

On being questioned, Kanjhawala-resident Dabas told police that he was upset over no chamber being allotted to him at the court complex for at least three years. A case of attempt to suicide under section 309 of the Indian Penal Code has been filed against Dabas. 

The courtroom in which Dabas went was of a member of the court’s chamber allotment committee.

In 2014, Dabas and 20 other lawyers had also filed a case in Delhi High Court through senior advocate Ram Jethmalani. It was after an order rejected their applications saying that they were not ‘primarily practicing’ at the Rohini court.

On Friday, the incident occurred at around 11 am when Dabas went to courtroom 216. He was carrying kerosene in a bottle, and raised his issue there. Dabas claimed that the allotment committee was being unfair to him. 

Soon, Dabas poured kerosene on his gown and used a lighter to set the gown ablaze. Other lawyers and court staff rushed to douse the flames.

“They managed to remove Dabas’ gown due to which he escaped unhurt,” said Vikramjit Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer).

Police  took Dabas to Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital. He was discharged without any treatment.

Dabas told police that he took the extreme step as he was fed up of his fight to get a chamber allotted. He claimed that he and many others who were senior and eligible, were overlooked during the process to allot chambers.

Dabas claims that the allotment process at court complex started in 2013. “The allotment committee favours several lawyers while the eligible are kept away. A list was issued in January mentioning us as eligible candidates, but I was never allotted a chamber,” Dabas told media.

Dabas claims that he fulfilled the criteria of ten cases and fifty appearances as mentioned in the application form.