Traffic, work at collectorate hit as lawyers protest LMC demolitoin drive, police action

Lucknow: Protests by agitated lawyers against the demolition of chambers near the district court complex continued throughout Monday, severely disrupting traffic and administrative work in parts of the state capital.

Demonstrating advocates blocked key roads, shouted slogans against the police and administration, and allegedly forced the closure of several govt offices on the collectorate premises. Similar scenes were witnessed in Bakshi-ka-Talab and Mohanlalganj tehsils.

The protest erupted a day after an LMC team, in the presence of police and administrative officials, demolished chambers and shops near the court complex on Sunday following directions from the high court. The demolition drive triggered tension and protests from lawyers, which intensified on Monday.

Heavy police deployment and barricading were already in place since morning in anticipation of unrest. However, as lawyers gathered in groups and boycotted judicial work, they marched onto the streets and staged demonstrations against the administration.

Advocates blocked the road connecting Swasthya Bhawan crossing to the collectorate by placing benches on the road and shouting slogans against the authorities. Protesters also gathered outside the Lesa office, where they allegedly placed benches across the road and prevented movement of vehicles for several hours.

The blockade caused traffic congestion in surrounding areas, with buses, private vehicles and even ambulances getting stranded.

Police later diverted buses and emergency vehicles through alternate routes via Balrampur Hospital and Daliganj bridge to ease congestion.

Eyewitnesses claimed that protesting lawyers stopped vehicles of govt officials and employees from entering the collectorate.

Though police had erected barricades to prevent protesters from moving, several lawyers crossed barricades and continued sloganeering.

Despite precautions, a group of lawyers allegedly entered the collectorate through the rear gate and forced some administrative offices to shut down temporarily.

Later in the evening, office-bearers of the Central Bar Association held a meeting and decided to continue to abstain from judicial work till May 20.

Demand for compensation to injured lawyers

The Central Bar Association on Monday demanded compensation to injured advocates and those whose chambers were demolished during the anti-encroachment drive on Sunday.

Central Bar Association general secretary Avnish Dixit said the administration should provide compensation to advocates who suffered injuries during protests and compensate lawyers whose chambers were demolished.

Bar Council ex-chairman writes to CM, calls for action against policemen

Senior advocate and former chairman of the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh, Ajay Kumar Shukla, wrote to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath demanding action against police personnel accused of carrying out a “brutal lathi-charge” on unarmed lawyers during a protest in Lucknow.

In the letter, Shukla alleged that station house officer Thakurganj Omveer Singh, an unidentified sub-inspector and 20-25 other policemen resorted to force against advocates on May 17 with “malicious intent”.

Shukla claimed that unarmed advocates were subjected to barbaric police action during the protest. He urged the chief minister to order registration of a criminal case against the policemen involved and ensure stringent action against them.

Shukla said that the advocate community was “deeply agitated” over the alleged police excesses and demanded accountability from the officers involved.