Lucknow, May 26 (PTI) The Allahabad High Court has posted for June 8 the hearing on a plea relating to the protests by advocates against the anti-encroachment drive outside the Civil Court complex in Lucknow, after expressing displeasure over the demolition exercise.
On Monday, the Lucknow Bench took note of the lawyers’ protest against the encroachment drive outside the complex in Kaisarbagh, where chambers allegedly built on encroached land were targeted. The order was uploaded on its website on Tuesday.
A video had gone viral purportedly showing lawyers distributing batons among themselves during the drive.
The demolition drive was carried out by the Lucknow Municipal Corporation, following directions by the Lucknow Bench of the High Court.
Taking note of the video, the court remarked, “Do you think that by distributing sticks you will stop the administration from carrying out its lawful duties?” and warned of criminal contempt proceedings.
The observations were made by a division bench comprising Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan and Justice Rajeev Bharti while hearing a criminal writ public interest litigation.
During the hearing, the municipal commissioner submitted a letter to the court stating that of the 72 marked as illegal encroachments, only 14 were removed.
The remaining encroachments could not be cleared, allegedly due to obstruction and hindrance created by advocates present at the spot, the civic body said.
The municipal corporation informed the court that administrative and police assistance had been sought to ensure compliance with the court’s orders and continuation of the anti-encroachment exercise.
During the hearing, lawyers opposing the drive argued that the municipal corporation had carried out the demolition without proper identification and claimed that a photocopy shop, whose rent was paid to the district court, was one of the structures demolished.
In response, the court said it was aware of the incident and clarified that the shop had been damaged accidentally.
The affected shopkeeper had already been allotted another shop at the same location, and efforts were underway to compensate for the losses, it said.
The court asserted that encroachments caused ambulances to get stuck in the area, and in one such incident, led to the death of a patient.
After hearing the parties, the bench directed that the case be listed on June 8 at 3.30 pm after obtaining appropriate orders from the Chief Justice of Allahabad for the constitution of the bench.
The court also permitted parties to file affidavits and applications in the meantime.
Senior advocates H.G.S. Parihar and Anand Mani Tripathi, along with Oudh Bar Association president S. Chandra, appeared before the bench to assist the court in the matter. PTI COR NAV KSI KSI KSI
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