Patna: Judicial officials in Bihar are up in arms after police officers assaulted a judge in public.
Angry lawyers launched a strike in protest on Friday, badly disrupting court proceedings.
Sub-Judge Prabhunath Prasad posted in the Gopalganj district court was on his way to the court on a motorcycle on Thursday when police officers on duty stopped him.
They allegedly snatched his motorcycle keys.
The officers did not relent even after the judge identified himself, leading to a verbal duel, which allegedly culminated in the judge being assaulted.
“I took [my] bike to reach court, since my official car had developed snags, but the cops on duty manhandled and assaulted me,” the judge told journalists on Friday. He has filed a complaint before the chief judicial magistrate, Gopalganj.
The Patna High Court while taking the matter seriously has summoned the Director General of Police and Home Secretary, Bihar, seeking a report over the issue.
The incident sparked protests in the areas as the angry lawyers abstained from court works, baldy disrupting court proceedings on Friday.
The Bihar Judicial Services Association (BJSA) expressed grave concern over the assault and demanded stringent action against the culprits.
“We strongly condemn the incident and demand stringent action against the accused cops,” BJSA secretary Ajit Kuar said.
This is the second time in recent weeks that judicial officers have come under attack in the state.
Last month, an alleged gangster called Judge Nishant Kumar Priyadarshi, posted in a local court in the East Champaran district, on his personal cell phone, in a bid to extort Rs2.5 million (Dh136,335) from him.
The call was made while the judge was disposing official files in his office.
Police registered a case and provided security to the judge.
