CHANDIGARH: Thousands of advocates in Punjab have been on strike for more than 10 days protesting against the killing of Ropar advocate Kulwant Singh, his wife and 18monthold son in police custody. No court work is being transacted in the high court for the states of Punjab, Haryana and the union territory of Chandigarh, Early this week all the advocates left their chambers in join in a march towards the Punjab secretariat where chief minister Beant Singh has his office but the police put up barricades half way through the route. The chief minister agreed to meet the advocates. They demanded a judicial enquiry into the murder, suspension of the key police officers involved but Beant Singh did not give any such assurance and merely reiterated the government’s stand that a junior government official will look into the incident. The protesting advocates were not satisfied with the chief minister’s reply. They decided to extend the strike until Feb.22. Farlier addressing the advocates, the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association chief Gian Chand Dhuniwala highlighted the police excesses against advocates. ‘The association also called upon advocates working at districts to organize sit in strikes all over the two states to highlight the police excesses. Leaders of the association will meet at Chandigarh on February 22 to decide on the next course of action. The Patiala district bar association has decided to fine those advocates who do not observe the strike in accordance with the association decision. Their membership of the association will also be terminated, it was stated, but an overwhelming majority of the advocates are on strike.
Significantly, the Indian government authorities are keeping silent on the matter, Delhi docs not want to encourage judicial investigations into police actions because that, it is felt by Indian authorities, will bring down the police morale.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 19, 1993
