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5,000 lawyers court arrest in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Over 5,000 lawyers courted arrest here on Wednesday demanding suspension of police officials responsible for the lathicharge on agitating advocates in the Indian Capital on February 24.

Police detained the advocates near Windsor place as they marched from Patiala House District Courts towards President's House under the banner of Coordination Committee of Bar Associations.

The lawyers from Delhi and neighbouring states, who were seeking Presidential intervention in the matter, were taken in buses to National Stadium and let off later on.

Committee spokesman A S Chanhiok claimed that over 8,700 lawyers were arrested.

The lawyers march disrupted traffic in the busy Connaught place area for about an hour.

Police had cane charged the advocates as they tried to move towards Parliament House on February 24 protesting against the amendments to the Civil Procedure Code and the government's proposal to amend the Advocates Act which they alleged would pave the way for foreign attorneys to practice in India.

Delhi's Lt. Governor Vijay Kapoor had ordered suspension of three police personnel and transferred two AC of Police following the clash. However, lawyers have been abstaining from work at Delhi High Court and subordinate courts demanding that all "guilty" officials be suspended. APP