Supreme Court lawyer abducted, assaulted over property dispute in Mathura; 44 detained

According to Senior Superintendent of Police Shlok Kumar, police received information on Sunday evening that Advocate Divakar Sharma, a resident of Barsana and who practices in the Supreme Court, had allegedly been abducted and confined at the residence of former Barsana nagar panchayat chairman Balraj Chaudhary, where he was assaulted.

Forty-four people, including a former nagar panchayat chairman, his wife and son, have been detained here for allegedly abducting and assaulting a Supreme Court lawyer over a dispute, officials said on Monday. The assault took place in Barsana on Sunday. According to Senior Superintendent of Police Shlok Kumar, police received information on Sunday evening that Advocate Divakar Sharma, a resident of Barsana and who practices in the Supreme Court, had allegedly been abducted and confined at the residence of former Barsana nagar panchayat chairman Balraj Chaudhary, where he was assaulted. ''A police team reached the spot, rescued Sharma, and took Chaudhary, his wife, son and 41 others into custody. Legal proceedings have been initiated,'' Kumar said. Police also recovered a large number of sticks and batons from the spot, he said. According to a preliminary inquiry, the dispute between Sharma and Chaudhary was linked to access to a residential property. ''The advocate owns a petrol pump on Chhata Road, and behind it is Chaudhary's residence. The access road to the residence passes alongside the petrol pump. There has been a long-standing dispute between the two sides regarding this route,'' the SSP said. Kumar said the matter was being thoroughly investigated and further action would be taken on the basis of facts that emerge during the probe.