Lawyer fires at cousin, also a lawyer, in court; escapes

Bareilly: A lawyer allegedly shot at his 27-year-old cousin, also a lawyer, with a country-made pistol in the Sadar Kotwali court premises in Lakhimpur Kheri on Monday following a long-standing dispute over land. Police said both practise at the civil court in the district.Eyewitnesses said the incident took place around 12pm when Virat Raj and Jitendra Raj got into a verbal spat which escalated into a physical altercation. Lawyers present at the site pacified Virat, but a few minutes later he allegedly brought out the gun and shot Jitendra on the chest before fleeing with the weapon.The injured lawyer was taken to district hospital and later referred to a specialised centre, where his condition is said to be critical. DM Durga Shakti Nagpal posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Taking immediate cognisance of the incident of a shooting in a family dispute in Lakhimpur Kheri, the situation was assessed by reaching the spot and the district hospital. The injured person was referred to Lucknow via advanced life support (ALS) ambulance to ensure better treatment.”Circle officer (Sadar) Vivek Kumar Tiwari said, “ The accused is currently at large. Further investigation is underway and a case will be filed in the matter.”