Lawyers have alleged police high handedness in the matter.
The Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court directed on Friday that a suo motu writ petition be registered to scrutinise the recent clash at the Howrah district court between lawyers and municipal workers.
Chief Justice T B N Radhakrishnan directed that the matter be placed before a division bench headed by him on Monday. Lawyers at the Howrah district court and the employees of the Howrah Municipal Corporation, which is located opposite to the court, clashed on Wednesday over vehicle parking. The lawyers alleged police highhandedness in controlling the situation. Several persons, including lawyers, were injured in the incident.
The Chief Justice directed the registration of a suo motu writ petition for considering all aspects concerning the matter for protecting the premises of courts and to ensure that the due process in terms of the Constitution and the laws were obeyed and enforced in relation to the incident at Howrah. Justice Radhakrishnan had called for confidential reports on the incident.
Passing the order, the Chief Justice observed that "the courts are constitutional forts of power and authority, from where judicial power is exercised on behalf of the Sovereign. The court premises are locations which are to be insulated from all sorts of intrusions, except as authorised by law".
He also directed that the Union of India, the West Bengal government, the state chief secretary, home secretary and director general of police be made parties to the petition.The police commissioner of the Howrah Commissionerate and the commissioner of the Howrah Municipal Corporation were also to be made parties to the writ petition, the Chief Justice said.
Lawyers at the high court and the district courts across the state are observing a ceasework in protest against the clash. The Bar Council of West Bengal had on Thursday urged the bar associations of all courts in the state to observe ceasework from Friday to Monday.
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