Chief minister Yogi Adityanath ordered a probe into the Hapur incident in which police allegedly lathi-charged advocates on Tuesday even as lawyers abstained from work and held a statewide protest on Wednesday.
Lawyers across the state will continue their strike on Friday in protest against the Hapur incident, killing of a lawyer in Ghaziabad and a criminal pointing a gun at an advocate in a Farrukhabad court, lawyers’ associations said. (Courts across U.P. will remain closed on Thursday on account of Raksha Bandhan).
The lawyers’ demand incliude action against police personnel in 48 hours in connection with the Hapur incident, FIR against police personnel responsible for alleged cane-charge on Hapur lawyers and compensation to the injured lawyers and free treatment .
In Lucknow, lawyers of the district court led the agitation. They blocked the old high court crossing and the road in front of the divisional commissioner’s office.
Another group of lawyers allegedly forced the closure of shops below the KD Singh Babu Stadium Metro station. The protestors allegedly manhandled an assistant commissioner of police and a station house officer.
As the protest continued for around six hours, traffic jams were witnessed on all roads in the district court’s vicinity. Traffic movement at the busy Parivartan Chowk was thrown out of gear.
{{/usCountry}}As the protest continued for around six hours, traffic jams were witnessed on all roads in the district court’s vicinity. Traffic movement at the busy Parivartan Chowk was thrown out of gear.
{{/usCountry}}Boycotting work, members of the Oudh Bar Association of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court staged a protest at gate number six of the high court. Oudh Bar Association president Anand Mani Tripathi led the agitation.
Joint commissioner of police (law and order) Upendra Agarwal said no FIR was lodged in connection with the protest till late in the evening.
Lucknow Bar Association general secretary Kuldeep Narain Mishra stated that further course of action on the issue will be decided on September 1 if the government fails to take action against police personnel responsible for the lathi-charge on lawyers in Hapur.
A lawyers’ delegation in Lucknow also handed over a memorandum to the district magistrate addressed to the chief minister, demanding action against Hapur police personnel.
Adhikar Manch general secretary Junaid Ahmad has condemned the lathi-charge on lawyers in Hapur and its president Ranjit Rawat has demanded a high-level probe into the incident.
LAWYERS ABSTAIN FROM WORK IN PRAYAGRAJ
On a call given by the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh, lawyers of the Allahabad high court, district court, Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) and other courts of Prayagraj abstained from judicial work on Wednesday.
Lawyers also burnt the effigy of the police at the gate number three of the high court.
Later, the Allahabad High Court Bar Association (HCBA) passed a resolution, demanding stern action against policemen responsible for the lathi-charge on lawyers in Hapur.
Bar Council of U.P. chairman Shivkishore Gaur has demanded an FIR against police personnel in the Hapur incident and compensation to injured lawyers.
STIR IN 22 DISTRICTS OF WESTERN U.P.
Lawyers in 22 districts in Western Uttar Pradesh boycotted work on Wednesday over the Hapur incident.
In Meerut, hundreds of lawyers led by district bar association president Kanwar Pal Sharma and secretary Vinod Choudhary staged a protest at the office of the IG (Meerut range).
The association’s former secretary Sachin Choudhary demanded action against police personnel who were involved in the lathicharge on lawyers in Hapur.
A group of lawyers in Meerut also protested at the district magistrate’s office and allegedly manhandled gunner (security personnel) of a joint magistrate.
Lawyers in Hapur, Bulandshahr, Shamli, Bijnor, Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar and other districts of western U.P. also staged protests and submitted a memorandum, demanding action against policemen.
MEERUT DIV COMMISSIONER TO HEAD PROBE
The state government has constituted a three-member committee under the chairmanship of the Meerut divisional commissioner to probe the Hapur incident in which lawyers clashed with police personnel, said special director general, Law and Order, Prashant Kumar.
Kumar added that the inspector general (IG) of police and deputy IG of Meerut are members of the committee.
THE INCIDENT
Police cane-charged lawyers in Hapur on Tuesday when they were protesting against registration of an FIR against a woman lawyer of the district.
A case was registered against lawyer Priyanka Tyagi in Hapur after a motorcycle with two policemen collided with her car.
Lawyers were demanding quashing of the FIR, but police cane-charged them, lawyers said, adding that 30 advocates were injured in the lathi-charge. Police officials, however, refuted the allegation and stated that mild force was applied when lawyers started beating up a passer-by during the protest.
According to Hapur police, at least eight police personnel were also injured in the incident.
On Wednesday, police registered an FIR against 17 lawyers and over 250 unidentified people at City police station in Hapur over Tuesday’s protest by some advocates at Tehsil Crossing.
Additional SP (Hapur) Mukesh Mishra said the FIR has been registered for creating ruckus, causing traffic jam and violating prohibitory orders, according to a PTI report.
BAR COUNCIL MEETING
The Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh has convened a meeting on the issue on September 3. The Lucknow Bar Association of the Lucknow district court has convened a separate meeting on September 4.
SCBA CONDEMNS HAPUR INCIDENT
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Wednesday also condemned the police lathi-charge on advocates in Hapur and demanded action against guilty personnel.
“The Supreme Court Bar Association strongly condemns the inhumane and violent act of police on advocates in Hapur where the women advocates were also not spared from the brutality,” said a resolution passed by the SCBA.
“The lathi-charge on the advocates, who were protesting peacefully against the alleged high-handedness of the police, is a clear violation of their rights and the rule of law,” the resolution added.
The SCBA stands in solidarity with the advocates of Hapur and pledges to do everything in its power to ensure that justice is served, said Rohit Pandey, SCBA secretary.