The Allahabad High Court is hearing a criminal writ PIL filed by the High Court Bar Association, Allahabad, seeking the registration of an FIR against police officials accused of assaulting lawyers in Prayagraj on February 4. In support of its plea, the petitioner submitted a supplementary affidavit along with a Pen Drive containing evidence of alleged police atrocities.
Pursuant to the High Court’s previous order, the concerned Divisional Commissioner, Mela Adhikari, Police Commissioner, District Magistrate, and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) submitted their affidavits, which were taken on record by a division bench comprising Justice Rajiv Gupta and Justice Mohd. Azhar Husain Idrisi.
The matter originated from a letter written by the High Court Bar Association to the Chief Justice, highlighting that police officials had allegedly blocked lawyers’ access to the High Court for VIP movement and assaulted them when they sought passage. Taking cognizance, the Chief Justice directed that the letter be treated as a criminal Public Interest Litigation (PIL), now under consideration by the division bench.
During the hearing on February 14, Senior Advocate Anil Tiwari, representing the Bar Association, presented arguments detailing alleged personal atrocities committed by certain police personnel against practicing advocates of the High Court. The court granted him two days to file personal affidavits of the victims. The State’s counsel was also granted two days to submit a response to the second supplementary affidavit.
The bench scheduled the next hearing for February 18 and directed that the Pen Drive submitted by the petitioner’s counsel be kept in the safe custody of the Registrar General of the High Court and be produced before the Court on the next date.
Case Title: High Court Bar Association, Allahabad vs. State of U.P.
