lawyers in mining minister Gyatri Prajapati’s home district in Amethi and in Sultanpur had joined hands and demanded action against the Samajwadi Party leader, for threatening one of their colleagues with dire consequences if he would dare to pursue a case against the minister. The members of the Bar Association in Amethi, also handed over a memorandum in this regard to district magistrate and also to district police chief, demanding a judicial probe, arrest of the culprits and stern legal proceedings besides their full security.
On February 26, last month, one Dinesh Singh, president of the Bar Association in Amethi, had lodged a report with the local police in which he alleged that he was returning home at Korari Girdhar Shah, from a marriage ceremony when a Bolero Jeep stopped near him and over a half a dozen miscreants stepped out and intercepted him. He said that they hurled abuses, threatened him with his life and also said that they were cohorts of mining minister Gyatri Prajapati. They also threatened him to withdraw his case lodged against the minister. According to Dinesh, the miscreants later asked them either to make a compromise in the matter, otherwise they would pursue action and that he must get ready to face the consequences.
Dinesh Singh, who along with other members of the Bar Association sat on dharna outside district magistrate’s residence demanding action against the culprits on Wednesday, claimed that they gave a memorandum consisting of five demands which included to identify the culprits and arrest them, to make judicial probe, and to forward full security to the lawyers so that minister could not use his position to terrorise them. The advocates of both Amethi and Sultanpur joint hands to demand action against the culprits.
Reports said that the protesters also misbehaved with additional magistrate Narendra Singh, posted at DM Amethi’s office. Singh later made a written complaint in this regard to the DM. Sources said that ADM (Finance and Revenue), and Additional SP in Amethi, both were jointly given permission to look into lawyers conduct during their protest and to take appropriate action in the matter.