On Wednesday, the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana reversed its decision to boycott work in protest of the purported mistreatment of a lawyer by the Punjab Police.

The choice to change their stance came after members of the Bar Council and fellow lawyers held discussions with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and State Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav, who provided assurances of taking action against the police officers involved. Later in the day, three police officers, including a Superintendent of Police, were apprehended.

Consequently, the Bar Council has requested lawyers in Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh to promptly return to work.

Lawyers in the area, including those at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, have been engaged in a strike since Tuesday. This protest is in response to the reported abuse suffered by a lawyer while in custody of the Punjab Police's Crime Investigation Agency (CIA). The lawyer, who was facing charges in a case, claimed to have been physically assaulted by CIA staff officials and subjected to sexual abuse.

Today, the Director of the Bureau of Investigation in Punjab decided to transfer the investigation into the case involving the lawyer and the FIR that was filed based on his complaint against six police officers. The responsibility for this investigation has been handed over to a team led by Ludhiana Commissioner of Police Mandeep Singh Sidhu.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) mentioned above will operate under the supervision of Shri Jaskaran Singh, an IPS officer holding the position of ADGP, Intelligence, in Punjab. The Director issued this order while emphasizing the need for a swift and thorough investigation into the matter.

In a statement, the Chairman of the Bar Council, Ashok Singla, commended the unity and resolve of the lawyers. He also asserted that a decision has been made to secure the release of the lawyer in question.

"In light of these recent developments, an urgent meeting of the Bar Council was convened, and it was decided to retract the call for abstaining from work. We kindly request all advocates in the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh to promptly resume their work," stated Singla.

Meanwhile, the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association has announced that its General House meeting is scheduled for the morning of September 29. Until the outcome of this meeting, the suspension of work will continue.

Following a complaint from a lawyer last week, the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) instructed the Police Station in Sri Muktsar Sahib to commence an investigation against the police officers by filing a case against them.

In accordance with the CJM's directive, the police proceeded to file a First Information Report (FIR) against six police officers. The FIR included charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, namely Sections 377 (unnatural offences), 323 (hurt), 342 (wrongful confinement), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 149 (unlawful assembly).

The Senior Superintendent of Police in Sri Muktsar Sahib took the additional step of suspending two police officials.