Prayagraj, Nov 5 In the ongoing protests by lawyers over the alleged conduct of Justice Ajay Bhanot, the Allahabad High Court has taken exception to a group of lawyers who allegedly blocked the courtroom’s entry doors and prevented court staff from entering through the main gate.
A division bench comprising Justice Ajay Bhanot and Justice Divesh Chandra Samant on Wednesday observed, “The court proceedings cannot stand paralysed on account of lawyers who are deliberately absenting themselves from duty.”
The court recorded that a large number of lawyers gathered outside the courtroom and created noise that impeded court proceedings.
The court also noted that lawyers prevented court staff from entering the courtroom through the main gate. In view of the situation, the court said it had asked the staff to enter the courtroom through the door meant for the judges.
The observations were made in an order dated November 4 while the division bench was hearing a criminal writ petition filed by a resident of Farrukhabad, Salman Akhtar, of challenging an FIR registered against the applicants over allegations of sexual relations on a false promise of marriage, criminal intimidation, rioting, and the like. The matter was taken up in the revised call.
The court noted that no one appeared on behalf of the petitioners to press the writ petition, although the names of their counsel were shown in the cause list. The additional government advocates (AGAs) were also not present.
Taking note of the absence of the AGAs, the court directed the government advocate (GA) to submit a report explaining the cause for their absence in court.
The development follows a protest by advocates over an incident on October 27 in Court No. 49, where Justice Ajay Bhanot was presiding over the division bench.
The Allahabad High Court Bar Association (HCBA) wrote to Chief Justice Arun Bhansali on October 28, threatening to boycott Justice Bhanot’s court while alleging that he had humiliated an advocate during court proceedings.
According to the Association’s letter, an advocate had objected to a police officer occupying a particular seat in the courtroom. The HCBA alleged that Justice Bhanot subsequently ordered the advocate to be sent to jail and compelled him to apologise to the officer.
The letter warned that if no appropriate action is taken, the HCBA would boycott Justice Bhanot’s court. Against this backdrop, advocates held a protest. Some lawyers allegedly also broke furniture inside Justice Bhanot’s courtroom.
Subsequently, a bench of Justice Bhanot and Justice Samant on November 2 passed an order finding that the acts of lawyers assaulting state law officers, court staff and security personnel, and vandalising a courtroom were prima facie criminal contempt.
The court also requested the chief justice to consider issuing directions for the registration of FIRs against the lawyers allegedly involved and persons who circulated false social media posts about the incidents.
(PTI News)
