Supreme Court seeks UP Police response to plea over attack on lawyers in Ghaziabad society

The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought responses from the Uttar Pradesh Police on a petition alleging failure to register a case of attempted murder after a group of unidentified men assaulted several advocates, including a woman lawyer, during a dispute over alleged illegal construction in Ghaziabad.

A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V Mohana issued notice on a petition filed by the advocates.

The petitioners include Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) members A Deepa and A Deb Kumar. Delhi High Court advocates Vipin Sharma and Anup Goyal are also petitioners in the matter. All of them reside at 'Apex The Florus' society in Vasundhara, Ghaziabad.

According to the petition, the incident took place on the night of October 22 when two residents brought a group of unidentified men into the residential complex following a dispute over illegal construction and blockage of passage. The group allegedly launched a physical assault on the advocates and other residents who intervened, leaving several persons severely injured with fractures and eye damage.

The plea highlights a "systemic failure" where law enforcement agencies allegedly downplayed targeted violence against officers of the court.

The petitioners contended that despite Medico-Legal Cases (MLCs) and CCTV footage showing brutal physical violence and outraging of a woman lawyer’s modesty, the Indirapuram Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) only for bailable and minor offences.

"The arbitrary action of the police in registering a case for simple offences completely ignoring the offences for outraging modesty of a woman at a public place, severe injury of petitioners resulting in fracture, eye damage etc. which is clearly evident from the CCTV footage," the petition stated.

The advocates submitted that instead of arresting the culprits or adding stringent penal provisions, the police instead registered a cross-FIR three days later against the victim lawyers.

Although representations were submitted to the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP), the Ghaziabad Police Commissioner, the Chief Minister’s Helpline, and the National Commission for Women (NCW), no coercive steps were taken against the primary assailants, the plea stated.

The petitioners have urged the apex court to direct an impartial investigation by adding stringent BNS provisions, seek a status report, and order police protection for the advocates and their families amid continuous threats of reprisal.