HC: special bench to probe lawyers who beat up city judge

Taking suo motu cognizance of the incident,Chief Justice A P Shah issued notices to advocates Munish Chauhan,Rekha Sharma,Rajeev Tehlan and Jai Prakash — the four had allegedly manhandled ADJ Pankaj Gupta after he issued a bailable warrant to a woman seeking divorce. The special bench will now take up the matter on August 4.

The order came after Chief Justice Shah took notice of a letter from the District Judge referring the incident.

The four advocates had allegedly assaulted ADJ Gupta after verbal arguments. The incident had led to immediate protests from judicial officers’ associations in the Capital. Advocates Vikas Gupta and Rekha Sharma were arrested after an FIR was registered under sections of IPC relating to rioting and obstructing a public servant from discharge duty.

An urgent meeting of the Delhi Judicial Service Association and Delhi Higher Judicial Service Association was convened at the Tis Hazari courts within hours of the incident which sought strict action against the culprits and proper security for judges.

The Bar Council of Delhi has meanwhile appointed a three-member committee to look into the incident. Bar leaders denied allegations of manhandling and assault,and said only a “verbal duel” had taken place between the lawyers and the judge.