The petitioner, Satpute, sought a declaration that using criminal force to restrict persons from protesting was illegal.
This was in light of the alleged manhandling of a few lawyers on February 2 this year when they were protesting at Azad Maidan in Mumbai for enactment of the Advocates Protection Act.
The protest was also a condemn meeting for the alleged kidnapping and murder of two practicing lawyers in January this year by a group of people which also included their client.
Satpute claimed that the lawyers taking part in the protest meeting were manhandled by police and were restricted from leaving the ground by putting barricades.
Advocate Vinod Raman, appearing for Satpute, stated that various incidents of violence were happening against lawyers and the entire community was being taken for granted.
Chief Public Prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar, appearing for the police, stated that the CCTV footage of the incident did not reveal any illegality or arbitrariness. He stated that the police barricades were put up to stop them from marching to Mantralaya (State Secretariat).
The Court asked Venegaonkar to file an affidavit in addition to his oral submissions.
Source: Barandbench
