Lucknow, Nov 14 The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court, while hearing a plea filed by an advocate against some lawyers allegedly assaulting him in Lucknow civil court premises, has directed the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh to issue guidelines that advocates should avoid wearing uniforms when outside the court premises.
The court observed that there have been several cases where it has been alleged that advocates in uniform are intervening in a private property dispute and assisting land mafia in grabbing property of citizens.
Justice Sangeeta Chandra and Justice Narendra Kumar Johari directed this while hearing a plea filed by an advocate practicing at the Lucknow civil court, accusing some advocates in the same court of assaulting him on the court premises.
The petitioner advocate sought an order or direction from the high court to the respondents to have the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or any other independent investigative agency take over the investigation and prosecution direction to the investigating agency to conduct the prompt, impartial and fair investigation.
“Advocate appearing on behalf of the opposite party no. 4 shall inform the Bar Council of UP (Uttar Pradesh) of several cases being filed alleging Advocates in uniform going to intervene in private property disputes and assisting land mafia in grabbing property of citizens. They usually go to the spot in uniforms. The Bar Council of UP issued guidelines that the advocates should avoid wearing uniforms when outside the Court premises,” the high court said.
The petitioner contended before the high court that he had lodged an FIR and had also approached the Lucknow district judge to ensure the preservation of the CCTV footage of the corridor of the multi-storey court building.
The petitioner further said that he has also been constantly threatened by the opposite parties, whom he claimed to be anti-social elements and against some of whom history-sheets being drawn up by the police authorities themselves.
The high court directed the authorities to inform the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police of the area concerned of filing of the writ petition by the petitioner and seek instructions with regard to what has been done in pursuance of the FIR lodged by him.
It also directed the senior registrar of the high court to send a copy of this writ petition to the District Judge, Lucknow and seek his comments with regard to the steps taken in pursuance of the letter sent by the petitioner advocate to preserve the CCTV footage of the third-floor corridor of the court building of the civil court.
The matter would be further heard on November 28.
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