The Gandhidham Bar Association on Friday said that the principal district judge had appealed them to end their strike.
LAWYERS OF Gandhidham town in Kutch district called off their three-day-long strike on Friday after the principal district judge of Bhuj reportedly assured them that the Gujarat High Court would order a judicial inquiry against police inspector RG Parmar who had allegedly “threatened and abused” additional district judge Virat Buddha three days ago.
The Gandhidham Bar Association (GBA) held meeting of its general board on Friday to take a call on appeal made by principal district judge MM Gandhi. Judge Gandhi had visited Gandhidham town on Thursday held a meeting with representatives of the striking lawyers, judge Buddha, the additional district judge at Gandhidham court and a few other judicial officers.
The GBA on Friday said that the principal district judge had appealed them to end their strike. “The honourable principal district judge had visited Gandhidham on August 3, 2017 and met members of the executive council (of GBA). He had assured that honourable Gujarat High Court would ask some judge to conduct a judicial inquiry against the (said) police inspector and that the chief of the said police officer will be recommended to transfer the PI outside of the district,” a resolution adopted by the GBA on Friday quoted its president Dinesh Maheshwari as saying.
The resolution also informed that the principal district judge had appealed the GBA to withdraw its strike assuring them necessary action will be taken to protect independence of judiciary. The resolution stated that the association members unanimously resolved to call off their strike since almost all of their demands put forward in their earlier resolution.
Gandhidham A Division police inspector RG Parmar had allegedly walked into Gandhidham court with sticks on Tuesday and sought a meeting with Judge Buddha in the latter’s chamber. However, after the judge refused to oblige, the PI allegedly hurled abuses at the judicial officer, GBA claims. After the incident, the lawyers of Gandhidham had gone on flash strike terming the incident “an assault on judiciary.” A day after the alleged incident, Parmar was transferred from Gandhidham A Division police station to headquarters of Kutch East police, which, incidentally, is also in Gandhidham town. Kutch East SP Bhavna Patel has also ordered an inquiry into the alleged incident by a DySP.
“Bar Council of Gujarat also asked us to withdraw the strike assuring us the council has made appropriate representation to the Gujarat High Court and that the council will also write to Minister of State for Home, Pradeepsinh Jadeja in this respect. Therefore, the association members unanimously decided to end the strike. All the lawyers will start working from Saturday onward,” Maheshwari told The Indian Express.
Incidentally, an assistant sub-inspector of B Division police station of Gandhidham had reportedly collapsed in Gandhidham court on July 26 after judge Buddha reprimanded him for failing to execute a warrant. The ASI had been hospitalised with complaints of high blood pressure and high level of blood sugar. In his statement, the ASI had claimed that the judge made him to stand for more than one-and-a-half-hour despite him pleading with the judge that he was a diabetic and a patient of high blood pressure. Adipur police is conducting a preliminary inquiry in this regard.
