HC raps lawyers, says sticks distribution won’t scare admin

TNN

Lucknow: A Lucknow bench of Allahabad high court on Monday took serious note of viral videos showing sticks being distributed among lawyers during the hearing of a case related to the removal of encroachment around the civil court complex in Kaisarbagh.

A bench of Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan and Justice Rajeev Bharti remarked, “Do you think that by distributing sticks you will stop the administration from carrying out its lawful duties?” It further said that it would consider initiating criminal contempt proceedings. The court made the observations while hearing a PIL on the issue. The court noted that judicial work in the district court remained suspended for the past week, calling the situation serious.

During the hearing, lawyers opposing the anti-encroachment drive argued that the municipal corporation carried out the demolition without properly identifying the encroachment. They claimed that a photocopy shop, whose rent was paid to the district court, was 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 been allotted another shop at the same location, and efforts were underway to compensate for the losses.

The court reiterated that due to encroachment often ambulances got stuck in the area, and in one such incident a patient died. The bench added that formalities for allotting the land of the old tehsil in Kaisarbagh for lawyers’ chambers were nearly complete and that bar associations had been informed about it.