Senior advocate arrested for ransacking SDM office

Varanasi, Aug 17 (UNI) A member of the Uttar Pradesh Bar Council was today arrested by the Cantonment (cantt) Police here in connection with yesterday's ransacking of the office of a Sub-Divisional Magistrate by a group of lawyers, even as the situation on the collectorate premises remained tense.

Arun Tripathi was arrested from the Cantt area here today in connection with yesterday's ransacking of the office of SDM (Pindra) Anand Swaroop by lawyers and their subsequent misbehaviour with ADM (City) Indra Vikram Singh, police said.

A large group of lawyers later tried to court arrest in support of their arrested colleague, but the police did not arrest them.

''Since name of only two lawyers Arun Tripathi and Harishankar Singh featured in the case registered by the police, we will arrest only these two lawyers no matter whatever protest is staged by other lawyers,'' Police Superintendent (City) A K Pandey said.

Earlier today, irated with the last night police raids at the residence of Arun Tripathi and harishankar Singh, the lawyers announced the formation of a Sangharsh Samiti to wage a massive movement. They also carried out a procession on the collectorate premises where tight security arrangements had been made in the wake of yesterday's incidents.

The lawyers also announced to observe 'warning day' tomorrow to press their demand for action against SDM(Pindra) and other officials responsible for alleged misconduct with a lawyer at the Sadar Tehsil on Tuesday last.

Retaliating against the agitation by lawyers, the staff of tehsil, collectorate and treasury also went on a two-day strike today.

Meanwhile, acting strictly over the police inactivity in dealing with the violence of lawyers at the SDM office yesterday, the SHO (Cantt) Purnamasi Kannaujia has been suspended and Circle Officer (Cantt) D P Shukla attached with the SSP office.

UNI