New Delhi: Delhi High Court Wednesday agreed to examine on Nov 6 a plea by lawyers seeking action against suspended Delhi Police ACP Manasvi Vashishta and other policemen for allegedly threatening advocates.The matter was mentioned before a bench of acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma for urgent listing. “List it Friday,” the bench said.Initially, a group of lawyers urged the court to take suo motu cognisance of the issue. The bench had earlier declined to start proceedings on its own and asked them to file a plea.The controversy stems from an Oct 23 incident at Shahdara police station, where advocate Lalit Bansal allegedly suffered a serious head injury during a scuffle. The incident was followed by a confrontation between the lawyers and police personnel in the police station, prompting district court lawyers to launch an indefinite strike, which was later called off.On Oct 28, Delhi Police transferred Vashishta, who was then posted as the sub-divisional police officer in Gandhi Nagar, to the Special Police Unit for Women and Children (SPUWAC). Inspector Arun Kumar, who was the SHO of Shahdara police station at the time, was transferred to the security unit.The transfers came amid demands by lawyers for action against police officers allegedly responsible for the assault on Bansal and the subsequent confrontation at the police station.The controversy resurfaced Monday when Vashishta and a group of Delhi Police personnel held a protest outside the police headquarters against the transfers. Certain remarks were also made about lawyers during the demonstration.Vashishta has since been suspended by the ministry of home affairs.
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