Lawyers boycott work in J&K’s Poonch after ‘police search judge’s vehicle’
Lawyers in Poonch boycott court after police allegedly “disrespected a judge” during a vehicle search, demanding an inquiry
Lawyers in Poonch district of the Pir Panjal valley boycotted court work on Tuesday (August 19, 2026) following an alleged disrespectful police search of an Additional Sessions Judge's vehicle at a checkpoint, the Bar Association of Poonch reported. The incident occurred when the judge's vehicle was stopped at Kallar, prompting police to remove the key and act disrespectfully towards the judicial officer, according to a protesting lawyer.
The Bar Association of Poonch, along with those from Surankote and Mendhar, supported the protest by having lawyers wear black bands as a mark of dissent. The protesting lawyers demanded a fair, impartial, and time-bound inquiry into the matter, calling for action against the involved police officials. They deemed the police action as an attack on the judiciary's dignity, independence, and authority.
The lawyers met in Poonch to draft a joint resolution, urging the Lieutenant Governor to take action. If no action is taken, they threatened to extend the protests on Wednesday.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
