Assault on Gaurav Bhatia: Supreme Court issues notice to Uttar Pradesh over faulty CCTV camera in Noida court

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the State of Uttar Pradesh over non-maintenance of CCTV cameras in the court where Senior Advocate Gaurav Bhatia was assaulted. [In Re Assault on Two Members of the Supreme Court Bar Association at Gautam Budh Nagar District Court Complex].A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra took note of a report that mentioned that CCTV cameras were not functional at the court."The report of the District Judge indicates that the CCTV footage is not available because the CCTV cameras installed in the District Court are not functional. Moreover, it is stated that despite several letters that have been written by the High Court, the Administration has not provided funds for the maintenance of the CCTV cameras", the Court stated..Subsequently, the Court ordered that the report be circulated to all parties and the Bar Council of India (BCI), and issued notice to the State.The matter will be taken up next on April 8..During the hearing today, the Court made it clear that it was not going to take the matter lightly."This we won't take lightly - asking judicial officers and others not to work. We are taking a dim view. No lawyer can compel another to leave the court," the CJI said..Senior Advocate and Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Adish Aggarwala too weighed in stating that not even a bar association leader could compel lawyers to observe a strike. However, he added that lawyers have the right to request the Court for observation of a strike. "No bar leader also. But they have right to request the court," he said.The CJI, however, disagreed."Not at all! Lawyers cannot say hum aapko aane hi nahi denge. Not done," he said..The Supreme Court had on March 21 taken suo motu cognisance of the assault on Bhatia and Advocate Muskan Gupta at a Greater Noida Court.Bhatia, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, reportedly had his band snatched inside a district court where lawyers were observing a strike.The top court subsequently issued notice to the President of the Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida) Bar Association. It had directed the district judge to submit a report and ensure that CCTV footage of the incident is preserved pending further orders..Supreme Court Bar Association calls for action against lawyer who attacked Gaurav Bhatia.[Read order]