A sensational broad-daylight firing incident inside the bustling Tis Hazari court premises on Wednesday created panic among lawyers and litigants alike. The incident occurred around 1 pm, when two groups of lawyers clashed, according to a lawyer who was also an eyewitness.

“One faction of lawyers, armed with wooden sticks, clashed with another group. The dispute was purportedly over the allotment of lawyers' chambers and parking vehicles,” he said.

One of the factions, led by an office-bearer of the Delhi Bar Association, fired in the air, triggering panic, he said. “People ran for cover when bullets were fired. There was panic all around,” he said.

Another lawyer, Ravi Rai, said shortly after the incident, a large posse of police personnel arrived and sealed off the area.

Police also found empty cartridges from the spot, he said. The incident shocked several litigants, some of whom said the security provisions on the court premises were inadequate.

“I had come here to meet my lawyer for a civil case. If lawyers can sneak firearms inside, then there is definitely a question over the security and safety of litigants,” said Ram Singh.

Meanwhile, the Bar Council of Delhi has suspended advocate Manish Sharma's licence to practise law with immediate effect for his alleged involvement in the incident. However, this is not an isolated incident, there have been multiple instances of gun violence in Delhi’s courts.

On April 21, a 49-year-old debarred lawyer fired four rounds at a woman and wounded her in the Saket court complex in south Delhi.

A man who works as a 'munshi' in the court was also injured in the firing that occurred around 10.30 am. Police had said the suspended lawyer, Kameshwar Singh alias Manoj Singh, a resident of Durga Ashram in Chhatarpur, was arrested from a house in Faridabad. Singh had filed a case of cheating against the woman and her lawyer Rajendra Jha over a monetary dispute involving Rs 25 lakh.