The strike was called by the Coordination Committee of All District Courts Bar Associations of Delhi. (Express photo)Lawyers across Delhi’s district courts are staying away from work on Tuesday, protesting against an assistant commissioner of police who allegedly displayed his revolver to advocates seeking action on the assault on a colleague.The strike was called by the Coordination Committee of All District Courts Bar Associations of Delhi through a circular issued on Monday.“The matter originated from an FIR at Shahdara police station, concerning an incident in which Advocate Lalit Bansal sustained a serious head injury following an assault. Advocate Amulya Ratan is the complainant in the said matter… The seriousness of the injury called for a prompt, effective and impartial response from the police authorities, in accordance with law,” the circular stated.“On the evening of October 23, several advocates visited the Shahdara police station… to seek appropriate legal action against the persons concerned… The ACP and the SHO of Police Station Shahdara are stated to have assured the advocates that the persons named in the case would be arrested… On October 24, the advocates came to know that the persons concerned had not been arrested and had reportedly been released,” it added.The circular demanded the suspension of the ACP who allegedly showed lawyers a revolver.“When advocates approached the police station to express their concern regarding the handling of the matter… an incident involving ACP Manasvi Vashishta occurred. According to the account placed before the Committee, the ACP displayed his revolver and threatened and intimidated the advocates present. The Committee considers the circumstances surrounding this incident to be of utmost seriousness,” the circular stated.“The Coordination Committee resolves to demand the immediate suspension of ACP Manasvi Vashishta and the SHO concerned, pending an impartial inquiry… As a collective expression of protest against the reported high-handedness of the police and in defence of the dignity, safety and legitimate rights of advocates, the Coordination Committee unanimously resolves that advocates shall abstain from judicial work in all District Courts of Delhi on October 27,” it added.Nirbhay Thakur is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express who primarily covers district courts in Delhi and has reported on the trials of many high-profile cases since 2023. Professional Background Education: Nirbhay is an economics graduate from Delhi University. Beats: His reporting spans the trial courts, and he occasionally interviews ambassadors and has a keen interest in doing data stories. Specializations: He has a specific interest in data stories related to courts. Core Strength: Nirbhay is known for tracking long-running legal sagas and providing meticulous updates on high-profile criminal trials. Recent notable articles In 2025, he has written long form articles and two investigations. Along with breaking many court stories, he has also done various exclusive stories. 1) A long form on Surender Koli, accused in the Nithari serial killings of 2006. He was acquitted after spending 2 decades in jail. was a branded man. Deemed the “cannibal" who allegedly lured children to his employer’s house in Noida, murdered them, and “ate their flesh” – his actions cited were cited as evidence of human depravity at its worst. However, the SC acquitted him finding various lapses in the investigation. The Indian Express spoke to his lawyers and traced the 2 decades journey. 2) For decades, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been at the forefront of the Government’s national rankings, placed at No. 2 over the past two years alone. It has also been the crucible of campus activism, its protests often spilling into national debates, its student leaders going on to become the faces and voices of political parties of all hues and thoughts. The Indian Express looked at all court cases spanning over two decades and did an investigation. 3) Investigation on the 700 Delhi riots cases. The Indian Express found that in 17 of 93 acquittals (which amounted to 85% of the decided cases) in Delhi riots cases, courts red-flag ‘fabricated’ evidence and pulled up the police. Signature Style Nirbhay’s writing is characterized by its procedural depth. He excels at summarizing 400-page chargesheets and complex court orders into digestible news for the general public. X (Twitter): @Nirbhaya99 ... Read More Tags:delhiSaket court