A Gujarat advocate has filed a public interest litigation (PIL), alleging that another lawyer was assaulted by a group of advocates trying to enforce Monday’s Bar Council of India’s (BCI) strike to protest against police-lawyer violence.

Advocate Aiml Panchal’s PIL stated that fellow advocate Jal Unwala was humiliated while president, vice-president and office bearers of the Gujarat High Court Advocates’ Association (GHAA) and the assistant solicitor general looked on, the Times of India and Indian Express reported.

The Express reported that Unwala alleged that 30 to 35 lawyers “barged into his chamber”, while one slapped him. According to the TOI:

When they came to know that one lawyer conducted a case before Justice R H Shukla, they allegedly barged in his chamber, abused and physically assaulted him before his office staff. The lawyer complained before Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya demanding action against striking lawyers, who indulged in his manhandling, as per the provisions of a Supreme Court order by which it termed the strike ‘illegal’.

The judges in the PIL, Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice Pardiwala, recused themselves yesterday, with the case set to go before another bench now.