A local court in Delhi on Friday ordered Manish Sharma, the Vice-President of the Delhi Bar Association, and Lalit Sharma, brother of the association’s secretary Atul Sharma, to be placed in police custody for three days. They were allegedly involved in a shooting incident at the Tis Hazari Court complex earlier this week. On the preceding day, three other lawyers connected with the same incident were sent to police custody for four days.
The alleged shooting occurred on Wednesday, where two rival groups of lawyers clashed on the court premises. An official of the Delhi Bar Association is accused of opening fire at supporters of another member of the association. A video circulated on social media appears to show a person firing into the air while others throw stones and wooden planks.
In issuing the order for custody, Metropolitan Magistrate Chatinder Singh directed officials to ensure that the accused were not subjected to any form of torture and that they were permitted to take prescribed medicines.
In response to the incident, the Bar Council of Delhi suspended Manish Sharma’s licence to practise law with immediate effect on Wednesday, due to his alleged involvement. Sharma was also instructed to present himself before the lawyers’ body on Friday.
