UP: Lawyers boycott work to protest Hapur police lathi-charge, govt forms SIT

In Meerut, protesting lawyers allegedly manhandled a policeman deployed for joint magistrate's security. They attempted to snatch the security officer's pistol in the incident at the district magistrate office.

Lucknow/Prayagraj: Lawyers didn’t attend court and held protests in several Uttar Pradesh cities on Wednesday over an alleged police lathi-charge on advocates in Hapur district.

In Meerut, protesting lawyers allegedly manhandled a policeman deployed for joint magistrate’s security. They attempted to snatch the security officer’s pistol in the incident at the district magistrate office.

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There was a confrontation in Lucknow’s Hazratganj area when the protesters tried to force closure of shops.

The state government has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into the Hapur incident that took place on Tuesday and asked to submit its report in seven days.

Special DG (law and order) Prashant Kumar said the SIT will be headed by Meerut commissioner while IG Meerut and DIG Moradabad will be its members. The SIT has been asked to submit its report in seven days by fixing responsibility, he said.

Senior officials are in touch with the UP Bar Council members and appeal has also been made to help maintain law and order, the special DG said.

The bar council will meet on Friday to decide future course of action, its chairman Shiv Kishor Gaud said.

Police had allegedly lathi-charged lawyers on Tuesday when they were protesting against registration of a case at Hapur Kotwali police station against a woman advocate and her father around a week ago. The case was registered following a confrontation between the woman lawyer and police when she was going to Ghaziabad in her car.

On Wednesday, police registered an FIR against 17 lawyers and over 250 unidentified people at City police station in Hapur over the 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.

Earlier, on behalf of the state bar council, a letter was issued to all the bar associations of the state calling upon them to abstain from judicial work on Wednesday in protest against the Hapur incident.

The bar council has demanded transfer of the district magistrate, superintendent of police and the jurisdictional officer of Hapur within 48 hours and action by registering a case against the police officers responsible for the incident.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court Bar Association condemned the Hapur incident and urged the state government to investigate the matter and punish the guilty police officers.

On Meerut’s pistol-snatching incident, Circle Officer Arvind Chaurasia said policeman Tarun has given a complaint in this regard against unidentified lawyers at Civil Lines police station.

A case is being registered on the basis of his complaint, he told PTI.

In Prayagraj, advocates of the Allahabad High Court boycotted work to protest against the police action. An emergency meeting of the High Court Bar Association was held on Tuesday evening in which it condemned the police action.

Lucknow Bar Association General Secretary Kuldeep Narain Mishra said the lawyers boycotted work and they have sent a memorandum to the chief minister demanding action against the guilty policemen.

In Muzaffarnagar, lawyers staged a demonstration at the collectorate and later submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath through the district magistrate demanding strict action against police, district bar association president Anil Jindal told PTI.

In Ghaziabad, protesting lawyers held a meeting to chalk out the further strategy about their strike.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said the manner in which police entered the court premises and beat up lawyers is condemnable.

“Police chased and beat up women lawyers, instead of maintaining law and order.

Police are itself creating anarchy and disorder under the BJP government and they (BJP) will have to pay a price for the same,” Yadav was quoted as saying in a party release.