NEW DELHI:  The face-off between the lawyers and police of Delhi escalated today with protesting lawyers forcing all the lower courts shut. A lawyer also sent alegal notice to the Delhi police chief for yesterday's marathon protests,insisting it was illegal and the protesters should be arrested within a week.The chairman of the Bar Council of India has assured action against anyoneresorting to violence. "The police want full freedom to act against advocates. The police say they would withdraw security of judges and it is oneof their demands. To abuse courts is not right," he said. The Delhi HighCourt dismissed petitions from both lawyers and the Centre, saying its November 3 order will not affect the judicial inquiry.

On the third consecutive day of their protest,  lawyers have closed the main gates at PatialaHouse and Saket district courts and did not allow litigants access the courtpremises. At the Rohini district court, a lawyer doused himself with keroseneand threatened self-immolation. Another advocate climbed the rooftop of one ofthe buildings in the premises, threatening to commit suicide.

Assuring that the courts will function normally fromtomorrow, Bar Council chairman Mannan Mishra said action has been taken againstthe lawyer who slapped a police officer at the Saket Court on Monday. "Weare Indians not Pakistanis," he said, then added, "The police did nottake action against the Constable who had fired against the advocate".

The lawyers claim that one of their colleagues was shot inthe chest during Saturday's clash at the Tis Hazari Court, in which more than20 policemen and eight advocates were injured.

"This court should take suo motu action on theprovocative statements of the police," Delhi Bar Council Chairman KCMittal told the High Court. Despite the Bar Council of India Chairman's claimof action against the advocate who slapped a policemen, he claimed they did notknow if the man concerned was an advocate. The lawyers also demanded a gag onthe media and accused the police of making provocative statements. The DelhiPolice told the court that another policeman was beaten up yesterday at Palam.

This morning, along with other senior officers, Delhi Policechief Amulya Patnaik met the Lieutenant Governor, who is the Centre'srepresentative in Delhi. The Delhi Police are under the control of the UnionHome Ministry. At least 20 policemen and eight lawyers were injured and 20vehicles were vandalised in Saturday's clash at Tis Hazari court, which startedover a wrongly parked vehicle. The attack was followed by another violentconfrontation on Monday, when a policeman was slapped and beaten outside SaketDistrict Court by a group of lawyers.

Yesterday, at least a thousand policemen gathered outsidethe police headquarters, blocking an arterial road of the city. The policemenwere upset over what they perceived as a lack of the government's concern abouttheir well-being. The protesting officers submitted a list of 10 demands, whichincludes the creation of a Police Protection Act.

The 11-hour protest ended after action from the police brassfollowing directions by the Lieutenant Governor. Two FIRs were filed for theviolence at the Tis Hazari and the Saket courts. A petition will also be filedin the High Court asking it to review yesterday's order of suspension andtransfers of the four police officers, top police officers assured.