UP: Lawyers halt work a day after first woman state bar council president was shot dead in Agra
Darvesh Singh Yadav was murdered by her colleague, who then tried to kill himself.
Lawyers in courts across western Uttar Pradesh on Thursday halted work to protest against the killing of the state bar council chairperson, reported PTI. Judicial work was affected in Baghpat, Bijnor, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Saharanpur and Shamli districts.
Darvesh Singh Yadav, the first woman to head the Uttar Pradesh Bar Council, was shot dead on the civil court premises in Agra on Wednesday during a welcome ceremony organised for her. She was elected to the post on June 9. The attacker, a fellow colleague of Yadav, shot her thrice. After the murder, Manish Sharma tried to kill himself, the police said. He is in hospital at present.
Yadav was cremated at Chaandpur village in Etah district on Thursday. Uttar Pradesh Law Minister Brijesh Pathak was present at the funeral, which was attended by a large number of lawyers and the public.
The Bar Council of India condemned the murder and demanded security for its members. It sought a minimum compensation of Rs 50 lakh for Yadav’s family, reported The Hindu.
The Opposition criticised the state government over the incident. “The chief minister is chairing meetings upon meetings but the law and order situation is only deteriorating,” Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav said on Twitter. “Now the first woman head of the bar council of Agra has been shot. Even upholders of the law are not safe.” He is likely to visit the deceased’s family later on Thursday.
Ensure security in all courts: Allahabad HC
The Allahabad High Court directed the Uttar Pradesh government to ensure foolproof security in all courts across the state.
“Chief Justice [Govind Mathur of the High Court] has taken serious view of the aforesaid incident,” said the registrar general. “The state government has also been directed to take appropriate steps immediately regarding Zero Error Security in the High Court, Allahabad and Lucknow and the district courts of the state.”
Chief Minister Adityanath issued a statement on Wednesday night, saying the government was committed to providing security on the courts. “Along with the Bar Council, the Bar Association and the judiciary, the state government is committed to providing adequate security on the premises of the high court and the district court,” he added.
The chief minister conveyed his condolences to the family of Darvesh Singh Yadav and the fraternity of lawyers.
