Shimla: A police constable in Shimla was suspended on Monday after a dramatic three-hour gherao of the Chhota Shimla police station by members of the Himachal Pradesh High Court Bar Association.
The lawyers were protesting the alleged assault of one of their colleagues, advocate Pranav Sharma, by the constable, Raman Thakur, during a road altercation near Navbahar on April 12.
The protest, which included road blockades and sloganeering, forced senior police officials to step in. It was only after Shimla Superintendent of Police (SP) Sanjeev Gandhi assured the lawyers that the constable had been suspended and that a departmental inquiry would be initiated that the protest was called off.
Lawyers take to streets over police ‘misconduct’
The agitation began after a video surfaced showing a uniformed police constable slapping an advocate on the road.
In response, the High Court Bar Association held a general house meeting on Monday morning, where the video was screened, prompting widespread outrage among the legal fraternity.
According to the association, not only was the lawyer assaulted, but the constable also went on to file a counter FIR against the advocate, accusing him of damaging his uniform.
This move further angered the lawyers, who termed it a misuse of police power and demanded immediate suspension of the constable and withdrawal of the “false complaint”.
Bar Association president Piyush Verma said, “This kind of hooliganism by the police will not be tolerated. We demand that the false FIR against the advocate be quashed and action be taken against the constable involved.”
Blockade outside Chhota Shimla police station
The lawyers marched to the Chhota Shimla police station around 11.45 am and began a full-fledged protest, blocking traffic and chanting slogans against police high-handedness. The protest continued until 2.40 pm, causing disruption in the area.
Tensions briefly escalated when two bikers tried to pass through the protest zone and were stopped by protesting advocates. Police intervened to de-escalate the situation and escorted the bikers away.
TNR News Network
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