Vadodara lawyers' strike continues

Vadodara, Jul 17 (UNI) Court work remained paralysed in Vadodara for the second consecutive day today, following an indefinite strike by the Baroda Bar Association (BBA) members, protesting suspension of association president Narendra Tiwari on charges of ''professional misconduct''.

The Bar Council of Gujarat (BCG) issued an order of suspension against the BBA president yesterday after its three-member committee found him guilty of professional misconduct on a complaint filed by one of Mr Tiwari's female clients.

In her complaint, Madhukanta Chauhan, who is fighting a legal battle against her builder-husband Yashwant Chauhan alleged that her counsel Mr Tiwari had joined hands with her husband and had accepted donations from him in violation of the legal norms. In an ex-parte order, BCG suspended Mr Tiwari for a period of two years, which would come into effect from July 21.

Protesting against the suspension of Mr Tiwari, Vadodara lawyers immediately went on an indefinite strike.

Continuing their agitation, the lawyers today boycotted courts and staged noisy demonstration before the Nyay Mandir amidst heavy police arrangement in and around the district court premises.

Mr Tiwari, who described his suspension as ''politically motivated'', said all allegations levelled agaisnt him by his female client were ''baseless'' and alleged that the Bar Council of Gujarat had acted at the behest of BJP leaders only to remove him from the post of BBA president, which he had held for the last two decades.

Talking to UNI, Mr Tiwari said he was leaving for Delhi this evening to file an appeal before the Bar Council of India (BCI) against his suspension order.

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