Jan Lokpal Bill: Lawyers observe day-long strike to protest Anna's arrest

NEW DELHI: The work in all the six district courts here came to a grinding halt today as lawyers observed a day-long strike to protest the arrest of Gandhian Anna Hazare and non-inclusion of higher judiciary in the Lokpal Bill.

The co-ordination committee of all bar associations of Delhi, in a release, said lawyers abstained from their work at six district court complexes -- Patiala House, Tis Hazari, Saket, Karkardooma, Rohini and Dwarka -- in Anna's support.

The day-long strike by the lawyers led to adjournment of the proceedings in various cases, including that in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case at Patiala House court complex.

Special CBI Judge O P Saini, who was scheduled to hear arguments by DB group company directors Asif Balwa and Rajeev Agarwal, opposing framing of charges against them, adjourned the hearing after striking lawyers requested him and the defence counsel for it. The court would now hear arguments tomorrow.

Around 100 lawyers, affiliated to 'Adhivakta Parishad', a wing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), also organised a protest outside the Delhi High Court premises to protest the arrest of Anna Hazare and his co-activists. They later marched to India Gate to join other protesters.

"His (Anna's) talks have the weight and common men are with him. Corruption is an issue which must be addressed immediately as it is affecting the country," Thakur Virendra Pratap, a member of Adhivakta Parishad, said.