High Court Orders IB Probe, Tax Scrutiny of Four Lawyers in Court Assault Case
The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has directed the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to conduct a discreet inquiry into the antecedents and activities of four advocates allegedly involved in an assault on a litigant and his lawyers within the district court premises. The court, in its order on Tuesday, also prohibited the four lawyers from entering any court premises in Lucknow until the next hearing.
A division bench of Justices Rajan Roy and Manjive Shukla, which had reserved its order on July 22, further directed the advocates to submit their income tax returns for the past ten years, along with details of assets and businesses held in their own names or those of their family members. The bench noted allegations that some advocates were amassing substantial wealth through illegal means or activities unrelated to the legal profession, possibly including property dealings. The court stated, “We are not forming any conclusive opinion about any of the advocates but considering the nature of the allegations, we would certainly like to probe… (their) financial status…”
The incident occurred on July 21 when litigant Mohammad Shakir was assaulted on the Lucknow district court premises and allegedly detained at the Central Bar Association premises. Shakir had come to court in connection with a property dispute in which the opposite party and main accused is advocate Saurabh Kumar Verma, who is junior vice-president of the Lucknow Central Bar Association.
The High Court took suo motu cognisance of the incident and registered it as a public interest litigation (PIL). The bench observed that “lawyers ran amok, abused, humiliated and manhandled a litigant at will, and threatened him with dire consequences.” The FIR names Saurabh, Harshit Pandey, Yash Pandey, Abhay Pratap Verma, as well as 10-20 unidentified male and female advocates. The court directed police to identify all accused and ensure they are held accountable, warning against any dithering in the investigation.
According to initial police reports, Saurabh has eight criminal cases lodged against him, while Harshit has one. The High Court also indicated that if these cases are under investigation or pending in Lucknow courts, it may consider transferring them to other districts. The court recorded allegations from several bar members that a group of lawyers act like “goons” and misuse their position to grab property. The next hearing is scheduled for August 24.
