‘Circular not in line with assurance by Home Minister Amit Shah’: Delhi lawyers to abstain from work from next week

The strike was called off after the office of the Delhi Police commissioner earlier issued a statement, saying “the Union Home Minister would meet the representatives of the Bar to discuss the issue with an open mind”.

In its new circular dated September 4, the office of the Delhi Police Commissioner, Satish Golcha, stated that as per a Delhi High Court notification on August 4, designated places for recording evidence include prisons, forensic departments, prosecution offices, and police stations.

“…to begin with, only formal police witnesses may be permitted to be examined through video conferencing. The examination of material police witnesses may continue to be conducted in physical mode, pending further consultations among various stakeholders…further, in the event of any request from the defence counsel for examination of a police witness, in physical mode, the same may be considered by the learned Presiding Judge on merits,” the police circular read.

In strong opposition to this, the Coordination Committee issued a circular of its own. “There shall be complete indefinite abstention from work in all District Courts of Delhi from Monday, i.e. 08.09.2025 and there shall also be agitation in a more intensified manner against the arbitrary and illegal Notification, which is not only against the concept of free and fair trial but is anti-public and curtails the right of an accused,” the Coordination Committee said in the circular.

The circular added that the communication by the office of the Delhi Police Commissioner was “contrary to the assurance given by the Union Home Minister.”

“After deliberation and discussion, it was assured by the Union Home Minister that an official correspondence/circular shall be issued to clarify that examination of police officials shall not take place from the police stations,” it said.

“Thus, the Coordination Committee strongly condemn such a circular dated 04.09.2025, being not in line with the assurance given by the Union Home Minister, as it categorises formal and material witnesses, discretion about appearance and leaves the whole jurisdiction of physical appearance on the concerned Court, which was never discussed in the meeting,” it added.

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