New Delhi: Lawyers affiliated with the Delhi District Court Bar Associations have officially called off their strike after the Delhi Police accepted their demand for the physical appearance of police personnel in court for deposition.
The development follows a circular issued on Monday by the Delhi Police, mandating that all officers must appear physically in court to give evidence, reversing an earlier decision that allowed video conferencing from police stations.
The lawyers had launched the strike in protest against a notification issued by the Lieutenant Governor, which permitted police officials to testify via video link—a move they argued undermined the judicial process and public interest.
On Saturday, the Coordination Committee of the Bar Associations had rejected an appeal from the Bar Council of India (BCI) to withdraw the planned strike. BCI Chairman and Senior Advocate Manan Kumar Mishra had urged the committee to join discussions instead of proceeding with the agitation.
However, the Coordination Committee remained firm, stating, “We firmly stand on our demand and reiterate that police personnel have to appear only in physical mode in the courts for deposition/evidence.” They warned of a complete abstention from work starting September 8 if their demand wasn’t met.
In a statement, the committee emphasized that the protest was initiated “to protect the interest of the public at large” and vowed to intensify the agitation if the issue remained unresolved.
With the police now agreeing to the lawyers’ demand, the strike has been withdrawn, restoring normal operations in district courts across Delhi.
