Lawyers on strike in Allahabad; protest advocate's killing

Allahabad, Mar 12: Lawyers of Allahabad High Court and the district court today went on suspension of work, in protest against the killing of an advocate inside a court premises here allegedly by a policeman.

Sub-inspector Shailendra Singh, who allegedly shot advocate 30-year-old Nabi Ahmed in the Allahabad court premises yesterday, still remains untraceable, police said.

The Uttar Pradesh Bar Council, condemning the incident and demanding immediate arrest of the erring accused, announced a state-wide strike yesterday.

Heavy deployment of police force, Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and Rapid Action Force (RAF) were put in place around the High Court and the district court premises here to prevent untoward incident during the protest. Both the courts had yesterday witnessed heavy stone- pelting by advocates and torching of numerous vehicles which injured a constable with a gunshot in his neck.

Meanwhile, in an FIR lodged late last night at the Colonelganj police station here, the deceased advocate's father Mohd Shahid Siddiqui said that he was present at the spot along with his elder son Nafees, when Nabi was shot at by Singh.

Siddiqui, a resident of Haldi Khurd village in the district's trans-Yamuna region, alleged that the sub-inspector and his son knew each other for some time and they had a dispute over to a case registered by Nabi a few months ago, according to the FIR.

Nabi had lodged a criminal case against an irrigation department employee in Kydganj police station of the city in which Singh was the investigating officer, it said.

Singh, currently posted at Nari Bari outpost under Shankargarh police station of trans-Yamuna region, had filed the closure report despite the advocate's plea for submitting a chargesheet, the father said.

Yesterday, when the advocate came face to face with the heated exchange of words, Singh pulled out his revolver and fired at Nabi, Siddiqui said in the FIR. The sub-inspector fled the spot while the advocate succumbed to injuries within a few minutes, it said.

PTI