Black ribbons in court: Delhi High Court Bar members to protest ‘police excesses’

On Saturday, many advocates were detained by the Delhi Police as part of the massive crackdown on the protesters demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar. (Express Photo: Tashi Tobgyal)

Members of the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) will wear black ribbons on Monday to register their protest against “police excesses” against the legal fraternity during the protests demanding Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

The decision, conveyed through a notice issued on Sunday, comes after the Association had condemned the detention of several lawyers and the alleged use of excessive force by police against people who attempted to take part in the protest.

On Saturday, the DHCBA said, “The DHCBA expresses its strongest disapproval of the excessive and disproportionate use of force against the protesting lawyers, including women advocates.”

“Video footage that has surfaced depicts lawyers, including Senior Advocates, being physically dragged by the police,” it also read.

“Such high-handed and undignified treatment of members of the legal fraternity is wholly reprehensible and constitutes a grave affront to their dignity and constitutional rights,” DHCBA had stated.

On Sunday, it issued a notice stating that in continuation of its October 10 resolution condemning police excesses, it requests its members to wear a black ribbon while appearing in court on Monday, “as a mark of solidarity with the lawyers who were manhandled during the protest” and “to register their strong protest against the excessive and disproportionate use of force by the police against members of the legal fraternity”.

On Saturday, senior advocate Shadan Farasat was detained after being allegedly roughed up and dragged by the Delhi Police, which led to his shirt being torn. Farasat has been representing petitioners before the Supreme Court challenging the SIR process.

Story continues below this ad

Senior advocate Dinesh Dwivedi — whose elder brother Rakesh Dwivedi represented the Election Commission of India in the SIR matter — was also among the detainees.

© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd

Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court Professional Profile Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express. Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare). Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others. She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020. With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles: High-Profile Case Coverage She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy. Signature Style Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram