lucknow

Updated: Jun 13, 2019 10:49 IST

In 2004, a girl in her early twenties came to senior counsel and former chairman of UP Bar Council PK Singh for registration as lawyer. Little did he know at the time that in a few years, she would rise to become the first woman chairperson of UP Bar Council.

The girl was Darvesh Yadav, 36, who was shot dead on Wednesday by her own colleague in her chamber in civil court here.

“At first glance, she appeared to be an ambitious girl. She returned to Etah (her native place) after applying for registration. She came again after two years and said that she wanted to practice as a lawyer,” recollected Singh, who initially groomed Darvesh .

“I told her to join a senior lawyer as I was more into leadership. She said she too wanted to become a leader of lawyers. I took it lightly but in 2009 she expressed her desire to contest UP Bar Council election and minutely observed my working as I was already a member,” said Singh.

“Darvesh contested the 2011 UP Bar Council election and along with me became an elected member. Thus began her journey which had such a sad end,” he said.

Darvesh rose to become vice president of UP Bar Council in 2016 and became working chairperson in 2017.

She then distanced herself from her guru PK Singh and they both again contested in 2018. This time Singh lost and Darvesh again won the election.

In this election, she was the only woman elected among 25 members winning statewide.

On Sunday last, she was elected as the first woman chairperson of UP Bar Council.

Darvesh hailed from a farmer family in Etah and lost her father early but was determined to prove herself.

A law graduate from Dr BR Ambedkar University of Agra, Darvesh also did masters in law.

She developed leadership qualities and proved herself in the male-dominated legal fraternity of the state.

Unfortunately the man who shot her had been her trusted lieutenant for years. They both had a common chamber till they parted ways a couple of months ago.

Known as the breadwinner for her family, Darvesh, who was unmarried, was soft-spoken and very popular among lawyers.

Lawyers and others stage protest the murder of Uttar Pradesh Bar Council president Darvesh Yadav, Wednesday. ( ANI )

AIDWA DEMANDS MAGISTERIAL INQUIRY

The All-India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) condemned the murder of UP Bar Council chairperson Darvesh Yadav in Agra and raised a question mark over the law and order situation in the state.

“Darvesh Yadav was murdered on the court premises in broad daylight. This shows how bad the law and order situation is in the state,” said Madhu Garg, state president, AIDWA.

The group demanded a magisterial inquiry into the incident and strictest punishment for the accused.