Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
All lawyers practicing in the high courts, district courts, and tehsil courts across Maharashtra will stay away from court work for one day, on November 3, 2025 decided the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa to demand the passing of the ‘Advocates Protection Bill.’
The decision comes after a recent incident in Shevgaon tehsil of Ahilyanagar district, where a lawyer was brutally attacked during a cross-examination for merely asking a question. In response, the Bar Council, in its general meeting on October 29, 2025, strongly condemned the attack and passed a resolution demanding protection, dignity, and independence for the legal community.
Series of attacks on lawyers
According to a press statement, in recent days, there have been several attacks on lawyers in different parts of Maharashtra. Some lawyers have even lost their lives, such as the murder of a lawyer couple in Rahuri.
Following these incidents, many bar associations passed resolutions condemning such violence. A draft of an ‘Advocates Protection Bill’ had earlier been prepared and circulated among various lawyers’ associations for suggestions. Many associations sent important recommendations and improvements, which were then compiled and submitted to the Advocate General.
The Bar Council has repeatedly raised this issue at public events. In response, the Chief Minister had said several times that the matter is under consideration. However, after the recent deadly attack in Shevgaon, the Bar Council decided to go for silent protest on November 3.
Signatories
The press release is signed by several prominent members of the legal community, including Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa chairman Adv. Amol Sawant, vice chairman Adv. Ahmedkhan Pathan, Bar Council of India member Adv. Ashish Deshmukh, and other office-bearers including advocates Motising Mohata, Vasantrao Salunke, Annarao Patil, Jayant Jaybhave, Anil Govardipe, Vithal Kode Deshmukh, Sangram Desai, Parijat Pandey, Gajanan Chavan, Milind Thobde, Avinash Bhide, Vasantrao Bhosale, Subhash Ghatge, Ashif Qureshi, Avinash Awhad, Milind Patil, Harshad Nimbalkar, Satish Deshmukh, Sudeep Pasbola, Vivekanand Ghatge, Dr. Uday Warunjikar, and Rajendra Umap.