LAWYERS assault 3 Northeast individuals inside Tis Hazari Court, No arrests made

New Delhi, May 24, 2014: In a shocking incident at Tis Hazari Court, one of India’s largest and most prominent judicial complexes, three individuals from the Northeast—two men and a woman lawyer—were allegedly assaulted by a group of lawyers on Saturday. The incident occurred during a court hearing, sparking outrage and raising serious concerns about safety within the court premises.

Both the victims.

The altercation took place in Court Room No. 273 on the second floor of Tis Hazari Court. Among the victims was Mr. Mavio J. Woba, President of the Naga Students Union Delhi (NSUD), who was reportedly beaten inside the courtroom.

According to Mr. Woba, he was accompanying a Northeast girl, a Delhi University student, to testify in a molestation case. The victim had allegedly been molested by a man at Vishwavidyalaya Metro Station on the night of May 22. The accused, identified as Indra Narayan, is himself a lawyer practicing at Tis Hazari Court.

On May 23, Mr. Woba and the victim, assisted by a female lawyer from the Northeast, arrived at the court to record her statement. However, tensions escalated when the accused, accompanied by approximately 20 lawyers, allegedly began intimidating the group.

“They were aggressively staring at us from the moment we entered the court. We were terrified and didn’t even dare to look at them,” Mr. Woba recounted.

During a 30-minute break in the hearing, the situation turned violent. Mr. Woba stated that one of the accused lawyers confronted him, accusing him of using his phone inside the courtroom. Without warning, the lawyer allegedly struck Mr. Woba in the face, causing him to fall.

“Several of them rushed into the courtroom and started beating me in front of the judge and police personnel. I shouted for help, but no one intervened. I had to run and hide behind the judge’s chair,” Mr. Woba said.

The violence did not end there. As the victims attempted to leave the courtroom, they were allegedly chased by the accused and his associates. Mr. Woba managed to escape to the Civil Lines Police Station, where he reported the incident to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP).

Another victim, Divya (name changed), a Northeast woman lawyer assisting the molestation survivor, was also attacked. “I was suddenly slapped from behind while on the phone. The blow was so hard that my phone and spectacles fell to the ground,” she said.

Mr. Rachubui Pamei, President of the Zalianrong Students Union Delhi (ZSUD), was also brutally assaulted by a group of lawyers upon entering the court premises. “They asked me if I was from the Northeast, and when I said yes, they attacked me mercilessly,” said Mr. Pamei. He sustained injuries to his right eye, which was covered in blood.

Despite the presence of police, no immediate action was taken to stop the assaults. Mr. Pamei claimed, “The police did nothing to help me while the lawyers beat me.”

Later, two members of the North East Support Centre & Helpline (NSCH), Mr. Bruce K. Thangkhal and Mr. Jeremiah Gangmei, arrived at the court. They were reportedly scolded by police and confined to a nearby courtroom.

“A Northeast TV reporter and cameraman arrived shortly after, but the police secretly escorted us to Sabzi Mandi Police Station,” Mr. Thangkhal added.

The incident sparked widespread outrage, with hundreds of Northeast community members staging a protest at the police station on the night of May 23. The victims’ statements were recorded, and an FIR was filed under sections 147 (Rioting), 149 (Unlawful Assembly), 341 (Wrongful Restraint), 506 (Criminal Intimidation), and 354 (Sexual Harassment).

However, as of the filing of this report, none of the lawyers involved in the assault have been arrested.

In response to the incident, the Northeast community has announced plans to hold a large-scale protest in front of the Bar Council of India’s office near ITO, Delhi, on May 27, 2014.

~ THE MIZORAM POST | MANIPUR CHRONICLE | THE NORTHEAST TODAY | ZOGAM TODAY

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