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Lawyer’s death: Lawyers up in arms against police in Agra

Mar 04, 2024 08:02 PM IST

Lawyers in Agra protest the suspicious death of a colleague by police, demanding arrests and compensation. Agitation spreads to various premises.

Working in courts was hit after lawyers took to the streets and blocked traffic and even closed a gate on the civil court premises, on Monday. They were protesting the death of a colleague under suspicious circumstances, on Friday night.

Lawyers staging protest in Agra on Monday. (HT Photo)
Lawyers staging protest in Agra on Monday. (HT Photo)

A memorandum was handed over to administrative officials seeking the arrest of policemen named. Lawyers have demanded compensation of one crore to the kin of deceased lawyer.

A lawyer had died under suspicious circumstances after falling from the eighth floor of the apartment he lived in, on Friday night. The apartment premises was being raided by a police team in a case in which the lawyer was an accused.

Lawyers sought a fair probe and action against the guilty police officials.

Various organisations gathered on Monday and the agitation spread from civil courts in Agra to the collectorate and tehsil premises and lawyers stayed away from appearing in cases. Support has been extended by lawyer organisations in nearby districts, who have condemned the police action resulting in the unnatural death of lawyer.

Lawyers questioned the need for a raid at night at the apartment of the lawyer, and who had appeared before the police after being named as accused in a case registered at New Agra police station.

The matter related to a complaint by a man, Manoj Sharma, who named lawyers for getting executed documents forcibly for transfer of property.

“The raid conducted by the police at midnight, the viral video clip showing lawyer falling on ground at apartment, has left many questions unanswered. The matter requires a detailed probe to impart justice to the widow of the lawyer, who deserves compensation of one crore,” said Lokendra Sharma, the secretary of Agra Collectorate Bar Association of Agra.

Convenor of Action Committee of Lawyers, Arun Solanki, asserted that the agitation will continue till the policemen named in the FIR registered at Sikandra police station on Saturday, on the complaint of the widow of lawyer, are not arrested.

“The police cannot skip the responsibility in the death of a lawyer caused during a raid conducted during late night hours. Lawyers attached to Tehsil Bar Association at Sadar Tehsil of Agra will support every agitation undertaken to seek the arrest of the guilty policemen named in the FIR,” stated Lal Bahadur Rajput, the president of Tehsil Bar Association.

A case had been registered on Saturday night against the in-charge of New Agra police station, chowki and eight or 10 other policemen in connection with the death of the lawyer. The in-charge of New Agra police station and police chowki in-charge were suspended after lawyers staged a protest at the civil court on Saturday.

The case was registered under Section 147 (rioting), 302 (murder), 201 (destroying evidence), 342 (wrongful confinement), 427 (causing mischief), 504 (intentional insult) of the Indian Penal Code at Sikandra police station of Agra on Saturday night on the complaint lodged by Sunita Sharma, wife of the deceased lawyer.

The accused include Rajeev Singh, in-charge of New Agra police station, Anurag Singh, the police outpost in-charge and eight or 10 other policemen. Rajeev Singh and Anurag Singh have been suspended by the Agra police commissioner .

Sunita Sharma alleged that policemen barged into her flat (no. 801) on Friday night and dragged her husband to flat no. 802. After confining him wrongly there, they allegedly threw the lawyer from the eighth floor.

Agra police, however, denied the allegations.

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