Police stall high court employees’ strike

SHILLONG, FEB 11: The police bundled the Meghalaya high court staff in a bus as they made an attempt to hold agitation in the premises of the high court where section 144 CrPC had been imposed by the district administration prohibiting gathering of public within 500 meters radius of court

The high court staffs were however released later.  Around 30 employees of the court gathered around 10 am in the court premises to stage a protest over a disciplinary action taken by the court authority against one of the employees.

The police, however, swung into action and stopped them.

Interestingly, when reporters approached the court employees to inquire as to what made them to agitate they refused to tell reason behind their sudden protest.  Only after being repeatedly questioned, some of the employees expressed their unhappiness with the functioning of the court alleging that they have been mentally tortured.

East Khasi Hills SP M Kharkrang told the agitating employees they cannot agitate inside the court’s premises as section 144 CrPC had clamped in the area since last month.  After this, the employees move outside the premises of the court and continue their protest.

But the section 144 CrPC imposed by the district administration prohibited gathering of public within 500 meters radius of the Meghalaya High Court.

In view of this, police shifted all the staffs to Sadar police station on buses.

While no one was arrested, Kharkrang said they were later released after they said they would like to resolve the issues amicably and would also resume their duties at the court.

Later, court authority revealed that barring a few, the entire staff tried to abstain from regular duties expressing solidarity with one administrative staff B Nongbri against whom disciplinary action was taken yesterday.

Meghalaya high court registrar general B Mawrie informed that disciplinary action was taken against one staff yesterday and admitted that barring a few, the entire staff expressed solidarity Mawrie.

Mawrie said in a press statement, “They tried to abstain from regular duties but soon thereafter having realized their mistakes they resolved the matter.” She said the staff’s were ‘ignorant’ of the rules of the court which prohibits them from demonstrating or strike.

Mawrie, however, informed the court functioned smoothly as usual with the assistance of the staffs that were available.- By Our Reporter