Janjivan Bureau / New Delhi : Thousands of Delhi Police personnel who protested outside the Police Headquarters to demand action against those involved in an attack on their colleague outside the Saket court, ended their nearly 11-hour-long protest on Tuesday evening.
They were given assurance by senior officers that their grievances will be addressed.
Addressing the protesting personnel, Special CP (Crime) Satish Golcha said, “They will file review petition against Delhi HC order.”
Injured policemen will get ex gratia of at least Rs 25,000, he said, while issuing a fresh appeal and urging the protesters to end stir and resume duty.
The tension between police personnel and lawyers had been building up since Saturday when a clash over a parking dispute led to at least 20 security personnel and several advocates being injured.
As surging crowds of protesters gathered outside the Police Headquarters in ITO, leading to traffic snarls, Patnaik came out of his office to assure them that their concerns would be addressed.
“We have to behave like a disciplined force. The government and the people expect us to uphold the law, it is our big responsibility. I urge you to resume duty,” Patnaik told the police personnel.
“The last few days have been testing for us. A judicial inquiry is under way and I request you to have faith in the process,” he told the gathering.
The entire top brass of Delhi Police tried to pacify the police personnel who were chanting slogans demanding justice and wore black bands. Delhi Police has a strength of over 80,000 personnel.
Holding up placards with slogans such as ‘We are human in police uniforms’, ‘We are not punching bags’ and ‘Protectors Need Protection’, the policemen and policewomen urged their seniors to stand with them to save the honour of the uniform.
“Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal went to meet the injured lawyers but did not meet our policemen who were also injured in the incident. Isn’t it unfair to us?” said a protestor.
The protest caused traffic snarls at several intersections leading to ITO.
Delhi Traffic police took to Twitter to issue traffic advisories. “Traffic movement is closed in the carriageway from ITO towards Laxmi Nagar. Motorists are advised to use Delhi Gate & Raj Ghat.”
The immediate provocation for the protest was an on-duty policeman being thrashed by advocates outside the Saket court on Monday. A video of the incident, showing some men beating up a man in uniform on a bike, was circulated widely on social media.
When the policeman was leaving the spot, a man also hit his bike with his helmet.
The protesters also demanded action against the lawyer who assaulted the cop.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju shared the video on Twitter saying, “Let’s not take law into our hands. It’s not question of supporting any group.”
Saturday’s clash also led to many vehicles being vandalised or set on fire, according to officials.
The incidents drew sharp criticism from senior police officials who took to Twitter to register their discontent.
“I am sorry…we are police…we don’t exist…we don’t have families…we don’t have human rights!!!” said former Delhi Police PRO Madhur Verma, currently posted as Arunachal Pradesh’s Deputy Inspector General (DIG).
He was joined by former Delhi DCP Aslam Khan, now posted in Goa.
Khan posted the attack video with a caption, “Khaki going down to the worse.”
The IPS Association also condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with the colleagues subjected to “humiliation” and “assault”.
“Incident involving police & lawyers unfortunate. All should take a balanced view of it based on facts in public domain. Countrywide, police stands in solidarity with those police personnel subjected to physical assault & humiliation. Condemn all attempts to break law, by anyone!” the association tweeted from its official handle.
“Saddened to see such treatment meted out to police officers who spend their entire lives protecting civil society and maintaining law & order,” tweeted former Jammu and Kashmir DGP SP Vaid.
Former chief spokesperson of Delhi Police, Deependra Pathak, said, “Lumpen elements in the garb of Black Coat are on total rampage endangering social orderliness in Delhi. Fear of law need to be instilled among these mischief mongers.@DelhiPolice need to interpose pending Police-Lawyer clash cases.”
MHA monitoring situation closely
The Centre is closely monitoring the situation in Delhi where a section of police personnel and their families are staging protests demanding justice in the wake of clashes between lawyers and police at Tis Hazari court here, a top Home Ministry official said on Tuesday.
The Union Home Ministry also received a report from the Delhi Police on Saturday’s clash between lawyers and police at the Tis Hazari court complex in which at least 20 security personnel and several advocates were injured.
“We are closely monitoring the situation in Delhi. A judicial inquiry has been ordered. Let us wait for the outcome of the inquiry,” the official said.
The inquiry was ordered by the Delhi High Court on Sunday and the report has to be submitted within six weeks.
The factual report of Delhi Police was submitted incorporating the details of the Tis Hazari court incident.
It is a factual report in which Delhi Police has given details of the circumstances leading to Saturday’s incident and the action taken after it, a Home Ministry official said.
However, the report does not cover what happened after Saturday, including an incident on Monday in which a group of lawyers assaulted a policeman outside the Saket court, he said.
Following the incidents, hundreds of police personnel gathered in protest outside the police headquarters here on Tuesday.
Holding placards that read “We are human in police uniforms” and “Protectors Need Protection”, the protesting police personnel gathered outside the police headquarters at ITO and urged their seniors to stand with them to save the honour of the uniform.
Family members of the policemen were also joined the protesting police personnel later in the day.
Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik urged protesting police personnel to return to work and said they should behave like a “disciplined force”.
“The government and the people expect us to uphold the law, it is our big responsibility. I urge you to resume duty,” Patnaik told the police personnel, adding that their concerns will be addressed.
