Lawyer arrested for carrying revolver to courtroom during hearing

The incident happened on Wednesday when Additional District Judge (ADJ) DK Pradhan noticed that advocate Pankaj Mahant was allegedly carrying a weapon in his courtroom during the hearing of a case.

BETTIAH: A lawyer was arrested in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district for allegedly carrying a licensed revolver to the court during the hearing of a case, police said on Thursday.

The lawyer, while speaking to the media, accused the ADJ of implicating him in a false case. (Picture for representation)

The incident happened on Wednesday when Additional District Judge (ADJ) DK Pradhan noticed that advocate Pankaj Mahant was allegedly carrying a weapon in his courtroom during the hearing of a case.

“He was immediately arrested and sent to jail. His revolver has been seized,” said Muzaffarpur’s deputy superintendent of police (DSP), Town, Raghav Dayaal.

The DSP said that the arrest was made following a compliant from the ADJ. “A case under relevant sections of the Arms Act, and IPC Section 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) was registered against him at the Town Police station,” the DSP said.

The lawyer, while speaking to the media, accused the ADJ of implicating him in a false case.

“I am paying a price for complaining against the ADJ to the District Judge after absurd orders were given in my case and as a result I was upset. My licensed pistol was seized and I was confined to the courtroom till late evening and a false case was lodged with malafide intention,” Mahant said.

Meanwhile, the Muzaffarpur bar association on Thursday held a meeting of lawyers and decided to keep off from the court of two judges in protest against the incident.

“The manner in which advocate Mahant has been implicated in a case, arrested and sent to jail, the bar association has decided to keep off from the legal work of two judges namely Manoj Kumar Sinha (district judge) and ADJ DK Pradhan till the justice is rendered to him,” said Ram Krishna Thakur, president of Bar association, Muzaffarpur bar association.