Lawyers abstain from work in Maharashtra to protest advocate's killing in Allahabad court

The Bombay high court and many lower courts in the financial capital and other parts of Maharashtra wore a deserted look as lawyers abstained from work in response to a call given by Bar Council of India (BCI) to protest against the recent killing of an advocate by police in Allahabad.

The Bombay high court and many lower courts in the financial capital and other parts of Maharashtra wore a deserted look as lawyers abstained from work in response to a call given by Bar Council of India (BCI) to protest against the recent killing of an advocate by police in Allahabad.

Almost 90% of lawyers belonging to Advocates Association of Western India (AAWI) did not appear in the Bombay high court, Mumbai city civil courts, Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT) and district courts in various parts of the state such as Pune, Nashik, Solapur, Kolhapur and Aurangabad, said Rajiv Chavan, President of AAWI.

Many cases were adjourned as lawyers were not present to argue the matters, said Chavan.

However, Chavan expressed regrets that BCI had not included in the resolution the name of advocate Govind Pansare who was also recently killed by some unidentified assailants in Kolhapur.

"We strongly feel that the protest should have covered Pansare's killing also and not just the incident in Allahabad," he said.