Protests, clashes break out after lawyer's murder in UP

Lawyers in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday went on flash strike to voice outrage over the killing of an advocate inside a court premises in Allahabad allegedly by a policeman.

Sub-Inspector Shailendra Singh, who allegedly shot 30-year-old advocate Nabi Ahmed in the Allahabad district court premises on Wednesday, still remained untraceable. A case of murder has been registered against him, police said.

“The SI has not been arrested so far. He is absconding. Efforts are on to nab him,” IG (Admin) R K Swarnkar said in Lucknow.

He said 11 cases have been lodged in connection with Wednesday’s violence, arson and firing.

The Uttar Pradesh Bar Council condemned the incident and demanded immediate arrest of the erring accused, followed by an announcement of a state-wide strike on Wednesday.

Heavy deployment of police force, Provincial Armed Constabulary and Rapid Action Force were put in place around the high court and the district court premises in Allahabad to prevent untoward incident during the protest.

There was no report of any untoward incident from anywhere in the state, Swarnkar said.

Meanwhile, in an FIR lodged on Wednesday night at the Colonelganj police station, the 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.

While the sub-inspector fled the spot, the advocate succumbed to injuries within a few minutes, the FIR said.

Both the courts had on Wednesday witnessed heavy stone-pelting by advocates and torching of numerous vehicles which injured a constable with a gunshot in his neck.

In Lucknow, the lawyers held a demonstration near Parivartan Chowk, which is close to the district court and the high court bench.

The lawyers of Oudh Bar Association abstained from work protest against the killing and condemned the incident in strong terms.