Ghaziabad lawyers on strike over beating of colleague

Members of the Ghaziabad Bar Association on Thursday boycotted the courts and observed a strike over the alleged beating of a fellow lawyer by the police.

According to the police, on Wednesday night, lawyer D.C. Gautam, who was allegedly drunk, had an argument with a restaurant owner over a bill. The restaurant owner called the police who, Gautam alleged, beat him up.

As the word spread in the legal fraternity, Ghaziabad Bar Association President Anil Pandit gave a call for a strike on Thursday.

Pandit said a delegation of lawyers met Senior Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Krishna, who immediately suspended the four police personnel involved in the incident.

However, even as the things seemed moving the right way, a group of lawyers pounced upon a Sub-Inspector of Police who had come to the court in connection with a case.

More police personnel reached the court accompanied by Superintendent of Police (City) Akash Tomar. But to make things worse, some lawyers reportedly also roughed up Tomar, forcing policemen to use force to disperse the crowd.

Later, the Bar Association chief announced that the lawyers would remain on strike even on Friday.

"We demand that an FIR be registered against the erring policemen and they be immediately arrested," demanded Pandit.

--IANS

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