Allahabad HC takes note of lawyers seen 'distributing' sticks against anti-encroachment drive

The Allahabad High Court warned lawyers of criminal contempt proceedings after they distributed sticks during a hearing on an encroachment case, calling the situation "serious".

The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court on Monday took serious note of viral videos showing sticks being distributed among lawyers during a hearing on encroachment around the civil court complex in Kaisarbagh here.

The court remarked, ''Do you think that by distributing sticks you will stop the administration from carrying out its lawful duties?'' and warned of criminal contempt proceedings.

The observations were made by a division bench comprising Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan and Justice Rajeev Bharti while hearing a public interest litigation filed under the title Anuradha Singh and Others.

The court also noted that judicial work in the district court had been suspended the whole of the past week, calling the situation serious.

During the hearing, lawyers opposing the anti-encroachment drive argued that the municipal corporation had carried out the demolition without proper identification, and claimed that a photocopy shop, whose rent was paid to the district court, was one of the structures demolished.

In response, the court said it was aware of the incident and clarified that the shop had been damaged accidentally. The affected shopkeeper had already been allotted another shop at the same location, and efforts were underway to compensate for the losses, it said.

The court asserted that encroachments caused ambulances to get stuck in the area, and in one such incident, led to the death of a patient.

The bench also said that formalities for allotment in Kaisarbagh for lawyers' chambers were nearly complete, and that bar associations had already been informed about it.