Several lawyers, including senior advocates, were detained during a protest near the Supreme Court in Delhi on October 10, prompting the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) to condemn what it described as excessive and disproportionate use of force by police.
The protestors were demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The allegations concerning the electoral-roll revision were part of the protesters’ stated demand and have not been independently established in the material available for this report.
The DHCBA issued a resolution later on Saturday saying that several lawyers had been detained during what it described as a peaceful protest. It said video footage showed lawyers, including senior advocates, being physically dragged by police personnel. The association called the treatment of lawyers, including women advocates, “wholly reprehensible” and said it amounted to an affront to their dignity and constitutional rights.
Videos circulating on social media showed senior advocate Shadan Farasat being lifted and detained by Delhi Police officers. Farasat alleged that officers moved towards activist Yogendra Yadav while he was attempting to intervene. He said his shirt was torn and that he was thrown into a moving bus, adding that he feared his leg could come under the vehicle.
Other lawyers also alleged that police action was disproportionate. Advocate Smiti Verma said protesters had been holding copies of the Preamble to the Constitution when they were shoved into buses. She said she was subsequently moved to a jeep and that other detainees were taken to a sports centre near Karkardooma. Verma also alleged that the Preamble was torn. She said senior advocate Nandita Rao was among those detained.
Senior advocate Dinesh Dwivedi was also reported to be among the detainees. His elder brother, Rakesh Dwivedi, has represented the Election Commission of India in the matter concerning the Special Intensive Revision.
In its resolution, the DHCBA said the right to assemble peacefully and express dissent was a constitutional guarantee. It also said that maintaining public order could not be used as a pretext for arbitrary detention or excessive force against peaceful protesters. The association specifically expressed concern over reports that police personnel had torn copies of the Preamble, describing the alleged act as inconsistent with the constitutional values it represents.
The incident places the handling of assemblies around Delhi’s central judicial and administrative districts under scrutiny. Detentions, dispersal measures and the movement of protesters to holding locations can directly affect how public demonstrations are managed in a dense urban zone where courts, government offices, roads and public institutions operate close together. The material supplied for this report does not include a response from Delhi Police or details of any cases registered against the detained lawyers.
The DHCBA’s resolution is the latest official reaction cited in the report. Further clarification from the police on the grounds for detention, the number of people held and the conduct of officers involved would establish the authorities’ account of the incident.
