Lawyers thrashed in front of DM

LUCKNOW: Two senior advocates Abhimanyu Pandey and Ramnarayan Dwivedi, representing freedom fighter Nikeshwar Yadav's adopted son Virendra, were thrashed in front of district magistrate Ravi Kumar NG on Monday. Lawyers from Basti and Gorakhpur divisions boycotted work after the incident.
The DM ordered for immediate arrest of the accused Rajaram Yadav, owner of a prominent nursing home in Gorakhpur, his son Abhishek and a relative Satyanarayan Yadav.He also directed city magistrate Rajendra Prasad Kashyap to lodge an FIR.
Advocate Abhimanyu Pandey, who is also the former secretary of Civil Bar Association (Gorakhpur), said that this only speaks of worsening law and order situation in the state as people are daring enough to attack lawyers even before the district magistrate. Pandey told TOI that lawyers would continue to boycott work unless the three were booked under the National Security Act. He said that the matter has been reported to the Bar Council of UP.
As per the complaint, the DM had fixed a date for hearing on a land dispute case between Rajaram and Virendra on Monday. Interestingly, along with the DM, additional district magistrate (administration), additional district magistrate (finance), city magistrates and other officials were also present.
According to the city magistrate, who lodged an FIR in the incident, while Virendra was represented by his lawyers, Rajaram along with his son Abhishek and a relative Satyanarayan Yadav had appeared in person.
During the course of hearing, when Pandey began presenting his side, Abhishek slapped him and senior advocate Dwivedi, the city magistrate said. He confirmed that the incident happened in front of the DM. The three have been booked under various cases including disrupting government work.