Hapur lathicharge: Lawyers continue to protest, abstain from work across UP

The case was registered following a confrontation between the woman lawyer and police when she was going to Ghaziabad in her car.On Monday, a bench of Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker and Justice M C Tripathi told the lawyers that courts would start functioning from Tuesday and requested them to resume work, but the High Court Bar Association, at an emergency meeting on Monday night, decided to abstain from work.We are continuing with our protest.

Lawyers across Uttar Pradesh abstained from judicial work and burnt effigies on Tuesday, the second day of their protest against an incident of police lathicharge on advocates in Hapur district last week.

Despite a request by the chief justice of the Allahabad High Court, the members of the court's bar association also decided to abstain from work. However, at a meeting of the High Court Bar Association in Prayagraj in the evening, it was decided that judicial work will resume from Wednesday.

Due to an order passed by the high court in a public interest litigation (PIL) matter on Monday, there was confusion among the advocates. According to a press release issued by the bar association, the lawyers have expressed satisfaction over the high court taking cognisance of the Hapur incident.

On the other hand, the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh has decided to continue with the strike in the district courts across the state.

State Bar Council president Shiv Kishore Gaur said an emergency meeting of the lawyers' body has been called on September 8.

It was also decided that the strike will continue, Gaur said.

Earlier in the day, the lawyers burnt effigies of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on the Prayagraj district court premises.

''Under the leadership of District Advocates' Association president Girish Tiwari, the lawyers protested and burnt effigies of the chief minister on the court premises,'' association member Rajeev Singh said.

High Court Bar Association president Ashok Kumar Singh said lawyers abstained from work in protest against the Hapur incident.

Police allegedly lathicharged lawyers on August 29 when they were protesting against the registration of a case against a woman lawyer and her father. The case was registered following a confrontation between the woman lawyer and police when she was going to Ghaziabad in her car.

On Monday, a bench of Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker and Justice M C Tripathi told the lawyers that courts would start functioning from Tuesday and requested them to resume work, but the High Court Bar Association, at an emergency meeting on Monday night, decided to abstain from work.

''We are continuing with our protest. On Tuesday, lawyers across the state will burn the effigies of the director general of police (DGP) and principal secretary (home) on the district court campuses,'' Lucknow Bar Association general secretary Kuldeep Narain Mishra told PTI.

According to reports, lawyers in Muzaffarnagar, Kaushambi, Bhadohi, Kannauj, Ballia and Rampur also held protests.

In Muzaffarnagar, District Bar Association president Anil Jindal said lawyers are not satisfied with the SIT set up by the government as there is no representation of lawyers in it.

Advocates of Kaushambi district burnt effigies of officials in front of the district court gate and raised slogans against the administration.

Under the leadership of Bar Association president Vijay Kumar Saraswat, lawyers in Kannauj held a demonstration and raised slogans against the police.

In Ballia, lawyers alleged that police are working in an arbitrary manner and demanded that the case filed against the lawyers be withdrawn and the injured advocates compensated.

Led by bar association leader Shyam Lal, lawyers in Rampur raised slogans against police and burnt effigies.