A prominent lawyer’s murder in Hardoi on Tuesday evening by unidentified assailants who barged into his house posing as clients triggered massive protests by his colleagues in the district all through the day on Wednesday, senior police officials said. Four suspects, including a former Samajwadi Party district president, were taken into custody for questioning in connection with the murder, the police said.
A large number of lawyers took to the streets and gathered outside the residence of Hardoi district magistrate Mangla Prasad and superintendent of police Neeraj Jadaun, demanding strictest action against the assailants and the conspirators behind the killing of the advocate, identified as Kanishka Malhotra.
The lawyers blocked the Lucknow- Hardoi highway at Cinema crossing and decided to boycott work.
Hardoi SP Neeraj Kumar Jadaun said, “Kanishka Malhotra, one of the prominent lawyers of the district, was shot dead from close range on his temple (side of the head) by an unidentified assailant at around 7.45 pm on Tuesday.”
“The injured lawyer was rushed to a Lucknow hospital for better treatment, but he succumbed before reaching here,” the SP said.
The official said Malhotra’s office employee Girish informed the police two men on a bike asked him to call the lawyer as they wanted to discuss a case.
{{/usCountry}}The official said Malhotra’s office employee Girish informed the police two men on a bike asked him to call the lawyer as they wanted to discuss a case.
{{/usCountry}}One of them entered inside the office holding a file, Girish said, according to the SP.
“The assailant opened fire on Malhotra from close range after handing over the file to him when he came into his office room at his residence under the City Kotwali limits. The two assailants fled after committing the crime,” the SP said.
“The assailants have been captured on one of the CCTV cameras installed on way to the house of the deceased. On the basis of this, the police are trying to trace them,” he added.
He said Kanishka Malhotra’s brother Harsh Malhotra suspected the role of four people, including a former Samajwadi Party district president and a hotelier, who had a property dispute with the lawyer.
The SP said Kanishka Malhotra lived in a rented property, which was worth around ₹5 crore, and the four suspects purchased this property with an intent to build a commercial building there and were trying to get the lawyer to vacate the premises. He said all these four suspects were taken into custody and are being interrogated.