Lawyers ransack SDM's office, manhandle ADM

Varanasi, Aug 16 (UNI) A large group of lawyers ransacked the office of a Sub Divisional Magistrate and also manhandled the Additional District Magistrate (City) on the collectorate premises here today.

The trouble started when the lawyers protesting the recent alleged misbehaviour by SDM (Pindra) Anand Swaroop with a lawyer, stormed the office of the SDM concerned in the collectorate.

The agitated lawyers went on a rampage ransacking property at the office later.

Seeing the matter get out of control, ADM (City) Indra Vikram Singh rushed to the spot and tried to intervene by asking the police to cane-charge the lawyers. The irate lawyers resultantly manhandled him, official sources said.

Interestingly, the police personnel at the collectorate premises remained mute spectator during the entire incident.

The incident occurred as fallout of Mr Swaroop allegedly misbehaving with a lawyer Premchand on tuesday, who had gone to the Sadar Tehsil for the release of a seized tractor.

The Premchand lawyer was admitted to the Deen Dayal Upadhayay hospital after sustaining injuries while fleeing from the Tehsil officials who tried to get hold of him.

Reacting sharply to the incident, the lawyers associated with the Central Bar Association and Banaras Bar Association struck work today and also decided to boycott any meeting with SDM (Pindra) till he was transferred.

The lawyers later carried out a procession to the SDM (Pindra) office where they went on a rampage ransacking property inside the office. The lawyers also went to the portico of District Magistrate Office where they decided to hold another meeting tomorrow to chalk out future course of action.

DM Veena Kumari Meena and Senior Police Superintendent S B Shirodkar rushed to the spot.

Meanwhile, Police Superintendent (City) A K Pandey said a case has been registered against the lawyers in connection with today's incident. He also said investigations will be carried into the police inactivity on the collectorate premises.

UNI