New Delhi: Several advocates, including women and senior legal professionals, were taken into custody by police while demonstrating near the Supreme Court premises in the capital on Saturday. The police action occurred amid heightened security measures put in place ahead of planned protests by the Cockroach Janta Party at Jantar Mantar. The sudden detentions drew a sharp and immediate reaction from the Supreme Court Bar Association, which quickly sought intervention from the Chief Justice of India.
Pradeep Rai, the president of the SCBA, took to social media around 11:30 am to characterize the reported rounding up of attorneys directly from their chambers as deeply disturbing. He asserted that arbitrary detention and the intimidation of members of the legal fraternity would not be tolerated, while demanding their unconditional and immediate release.
Shortly after raising the alarm and stating that the issue was being brought urgently to the attention of the top judicial authority, Rai provided an update. He confirmed that he had held discussions directly with the Deputy Commissioner of Police for the New Delhi district, securing assurances that the detained lawyers would be freed right away.