How an alleged slap brought a buzzing Delhi court to a standstill for a day

Court staff, essential to the Rohini Court’s functioning, went on a sit-in strike on Wednesday to protest a court record keeping allegedly being slapped by an advocate.

Rohini Court staff protestThe staff members of Rohini staged the sit-in strike protest this alleged “mistreatment” and to demand mutual respect between the bar and court staff. (Express photo enhanced using AI)

On a usual day, the Rohini Court complex is buzzing with litigants and lawyers while its over 70 judges hear close to 3600 cases in a day.

This came to a complete halt for a day on Wednesday when its court staff, essential to its day to day functioning, gathered in protest at the centre of complex. They were protesting against an alleged slap by an advocate to an ahlmad (record keeper) after an argument.

Dozens of staff members sat on the floor, while more gathered around them and along the upper-floor balconies. Slogans of “Staff Ekta Zindabad (long live staff unity)” were raised in unison and the court’s activities came to a standstill.

The point of discontent

An advocate had allegedly slapped an ahlmad earlier in the day over a disagreement.

“Her vakalatnama wasn’t there. So, the staff didn’t show her the files. After an argument she slapped him,” a court staff member said.

The staff members of Rohini staged the sit-in strike protest this alleged “mistreatment” and to demand mutual respect between the bar and court staff.

A court staff member, addressing the crowd over the microphone, called the alleged incident “highly commendable.”

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Appealing to all court staff members to back the protest, he told the crowd, “…if we do not remain united and support each other, we will continue to be targeted.”

Arun Yadav, General Secretary of District and Sessions Court Employees Welfare Association (DSCEWA), said that the body is demanding “safeguards” against mistreatment.

“A policy must be framed by the Honourable High Court regarding installing enough CCTV cameras and installing panic buttons at seats of staff,” he said.

In the aftermath of the strike, an hour-long meeting was held in the presence of the Principal District And Sessions Judge (Rohini North), the President and Secretary of the Rohini Bar Association, and Yadav.

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According to sources, the advocate apologised to the aggrieved court staff and others during the meeting, and members of the Bar Association also expressed their regret over the incident.

As a result, normal functioning resumed at the court on Thursday. Rohini Bar Association President advocate Rajiv Tehlan said, “Work has resumed now. Things are cordial now. There was a misunderstanding. Both sides sat down and resolved the issue.”

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

 

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