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The Delhi High Court on Tuesday declined to take suo motu cognizance of allegedly threatening remarks made by Delhi Police ACP Manasvi Vashishtha against lawyers, asking the advocates to file a formal petition.

The matter was mentioned before a division bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre, by various advocates, who sought the Court's intervention over the alleged remarks.

The Court asked the lawyers to file a proper petition, assuring them that it would examine the matter thereafter.

“Please file a formal petition, we will look into it. We will order its listing,” the bench, also comprising Justice Sanjay Sharma said.

The Court further asked the advocates to furnish a copy of the petition, once filed, to the Delhi Police Standing Counsel (Criminal) Sanjay Lao.

“I assure you that we will look into it,” the Court said.

The Court thus indicated that it would consider the issue upon the filing of a formal petition.

For context, reportedly, ACP Manasvi Vashishta has been placed under suspension for “violation of discipline”.

This was after the ACP led a protest by Delhi Police personnel outside the force's headquarters on yesterday following a clash with lawyers.

ACP Vashishta had joined around 100 police personnel who gathered outside Gate No. 1 of the Delhi Police headquarters on Monday morning.

They were demanding a meeting with the Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar over the recent fiasco with lawyers at the Shahdara police station.

ACP Vashishta and Arun Kumar, the Station House Officer of the Shahdara police station, were transferred following an indefinite strike called by city lawyers over the handling of an assault case involving advocate Lalit Bansal.

Various district court lawyers subsequently launched an indefinite strike, alleging that ACP Vashishta and Arun Kumar had threatened them, when they went to the police station over the handling of the assault case. They demanded action against the officers concerned.

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