Swine flu scare: Lawyers in Ahmedabad go on five-day leave

Nearly 10,000 lawyers today went on a five-day leave from work in view of the outbreak of swine flu in the city.

"As many as 10,000 advocates, who are practising in five courts, including the Ahmedabad district and rural court, metropolitan court, city sessions court, small cause court and family court, will not work from March 3 to March 7 due to the swine flu menace in the city," said, Rajesh Parekh, Ahmedabad District Bar Association president.

However, the lawyers will continue to take urgent matters, like bail petitions of under trial prisoners, he added. The Bar Association yesterday issued a notification, which stated that the recent unseasonal rains can spread the deadly H1N1 virus, he said.

When asked about the measures taken by the advocates to avoid swine flu, he said the Bar Association will distribute free herbal medicines.

"We have prepared 'Ukala' (a herbal concoction) and will distribute it among the advocates from today. If a person consumes it daily, he or she can be protected from swine flu," he said. Besides, the lawyers practising at the Gujarat High Court today distributed masks and placed sanitisers in all the washrooms to protect them from the swine flu. The Gujarat High Court Advocates Association (GHAA) has requested the High Court not to take action against the lawyers who do not want to come for hearing of the cases taken up by them, due to the fear of swine flu.

"There are lawyers who are concerned about swine flu and do not want to come till the situation improves. Thus, we requested the court that no adverse action should be taken against those who do not turn up during the hearing of their matter. The High Court accepted our request," senior lawyer Yatin Oza said. As many as 283 people have died of swine flu in Gujarat so far this year, with Ahmedabad registering 79 fatalities. There have been 1,683 H1N1 viral infection cases in Ahmedabad this year.