Supreme Court Bar Association demands CJI's intervention over lawyers' detention
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SCBA stated there is no valid basis for detention and called for their immediate release.
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has expressed concern over the detention of lawyers peacefully protesting around the Supreme Court and the excessive use of force against them. The association demanded immediate intervention from Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud on Saturday. It specifically raised the issue of safety for women lawyers, stating that the whereabouts of each detained advocate should be traced and their safe condition ensured.
In its statement, the SCBA mentioned that it has received information regarding the detention of several lawyers. The association requested the Chief Justice to raise the matter with the relevant authorities so that information about the whereabouts and safety of all detained lawyers can be obtained. It also called for legal assistance to be provided to them and for those detained without any valid grounds to be released immediately.
The association demands clarity on the status of the detained advocates. Its statement expressed outrage over the alleged use of force against senior and young lawyers, especially women advocates. However, these allegations regarding the use of force and circumstances of detention have been made by the association.
The Lawyers Association for Constitution (LAFC) also condemned the detention of senior and young advocates on Saturday. According to the organization, this includes women lawyers and its members who had gathered peacefully in the Supreme Court area. It appealed to the Chief Justice to intervene before the relevant authorities to ensure their safety and freedom.
LAFC stated that the constitutional rights of lawyers are not extinguished by raising voices in favor of democratic institutions. According to the organization, any restriction on peaceful assembly should have a clear legal basis. Such actions should be necessary, proportional to the circumstances, and respect human dignity.
The organization also stated that detaining any advocate without immediately informing them of the reason and location for detention, or depriving them of legal assistance, undermines fundamental constitutional and legal safeguards. The demands of both organizations center around the legality of detention, safety, and access to legal assistance. The issue of lawyers' detention has emerged at a time when several leaders and activists were stopped before a proposed protest by the Cockroach Public Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar.
On Saturday morning, CJP founders Abhijit Deepke, Saurav Das, and Ashutosh Ranka were detained on board a flight from Mumbai to Delhi. A video shared by Deepke showed police officers entering the aircraft.
The CJP termed this action premeditated and alleged that its purpose was to prevent the leadership of the protest from reaching the venue. The party demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the three leaders. The Delhi Police had not granted permission for the proposed protest.
The protest was called to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The CJP is opposing irregularities in the Special Intensive Review (SIR) of voter lists and changes related to Form 6 of voter registration. Earlier on Saturday morning, YouTuber Dhruv Rathi was detained from his residence in Gurugram. According to the police, he was advised not to go to Delhi due to prohibitory orders and the lack of permission for the protest. The police stated that action was taken when he did not comply. Reports also emerged of the detention of CJP's legal team head Ratna Singh.
The CPI(M) reported that former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas, and former minister K.N. Balagopal were detained by the Delhi Police and taken to Chhatrasal Stadium. According to the party, M.A. Baby, Brinda Karat, E.P. Jayarajan, M.V. Govindan, K.K. Shailaja, and P.K. Srimathi were also detained. The left parties had supported the CJP's protest. Actions to prevent protesters began even before Friday. Passengers heading to Delhi were removed from trains in Bhopal, Itarsi, and Gwalior. According to a senior police officer, at least 30 protesters were detained and advised to return to their states.
According to a report by 'The Indian Express', at least a thousand people were detained overnight in Delhi before Saturday's protest. Amid these actions, lawyer organizations have also raised demands for the safety of detained advocates, legal assistance, and the immediate release of those detained without valid grounds.