india

Updated: Jun 13, 2019 23:19 IST

A day after the gruesome killing of Uttar Pradesh Bar Council (UPBC) president Darvesh Yadav, security was tightened at the Agra civil court premises even as Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav met the victim’s family members in Etah and demanded compensation of ₹ 50 lakh for them from the government.

Condemning the incident, the Samajwadi Party president sought a probe by a sitting judge of the high court.

“The trust of common man in the state government has been lost because of a spate of crimes after elections in the state. We are preparing a list of crimes and would hand it over to the governor, who is silent on the deteriorating law and order situation,” Akhilesh Yadav said.

Darvesh Yadav was shot dead by a colleague, Manish Sharma, on Agra civil court premises on Wednesday, three days after she was elected the state’s first woman bar council president. Sharma then shot himself in the head.

The police said, he was shifted to Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon where he was operated upon. He has been put on ventilator and his condition is stated to be stable.

Meanwhile, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said the government was committed to providing adequate security on the high court and district court premises.

“Along with the Bar Council, the Bar Association and the judiciary, the state government is committed to providing adequate security on the premises of the high court and the district court.” He added that clear-cut instructions in this regard were given to the state chief secretary and director general of police.

“The government will take effective steps, keeping in mind all the parameters of security,” the chief minister said.

Darvesh Yadav was cremated in her native village Chandpur in Etah district on Thursday.

Law minister Brajesh Pathak was present during the cremation and assured full security on court premises all over state.

“It was a great loss and state government assures the family members of Darvesh that all support and justice would be given to them,” said Pathak.

Prashant Verma, superintendent of police (city), Agra said: “A platoon of PAC [Provincial Armed Constabulary], besides state police personnel, was deployed and door frame metal detectors (DFMD) were placed at entry gates [of the court]. Neither lawyers nor their clients were allowed to take their vehicles on the court premises.”

National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma visited the spot where Darvesh Yadav was shot dead.

Sharma said she would take up matter with the Bar Council of India and judiciary and stressed on self-discipline among the legal fraternity.

“I have talked to eyewitnesses, police and visited the spot where the incident occurred. I will send a report to ministry of home affairs,” Sharma said on Thursday.

In a first information report (FIR), Darvesh Yadav’s nephew Sunny named Manish Sharma, his wife Vandana and another lawyer Vineet Gulecha for the murder of his aunt.

The FIR was registered under sections 302 (murder), 120B (collusion) and 507 (threats) of the Indian Penal Code.

Lawyers’ protest hits court work

Work in courts across western UP came to a standstill on Thursday as lawyers protested against the killing of the state bar council president.

Muzaffarnagar District Bar Association president Syed Naseer Haider said the incident was condemned by lawyers in a condolence meeting. The call for the boycott was given by the state bar council.

Judicial work was affected in Baghpat, Bijnor, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Saharanpur and Shamli districts.

(With agency inputs)