450 lawyers booked in 2 cases of assault, rioting

Lucknow: A day after nine policemen, including an SHO, were booked for assault, robbery and rioting, Lucknow police lodged two separate FIRs against lawyers late Saturday night.The first FIR was lodged against 300 lawyers who stormed Vibhuti Khand police station, assaulting Inspector Pankaj Singh and attacking a female constable, besides vandalising documents in a dispute over detention of five persons from Bharwara village.The other FIR was lodged against a group of over 150 lawyers who allegedly clashed with police inside Vibhuti Khand police station on Mar 14.Vibhuti Khand police station in-charge Pankaj Kumar Singh, who lodged the first FIR, said a group of lawyers stormed the police station after learning about five individuals who had been detained in a physical assault case in Bharwara village on Mar 14.Tension escalated when advocate Rahul Pandey allegedly pushed complainant Mithilesh Singh and verbally abused her on the police station premises. Advocate Saurabh Verma allegedly slapped Mithilesh Singh and threatened her against approaching police, the Inspector stated in his FIR.The situation worsened when Mithilesh's son and others retaliated, prompting police to intervene. Despite efforts to restore order, Pandey and Verma allegedly attacked Inspector Singh, tore his uniform badge and attempted to strangle him, obstructing his breathing for some time. The accused then barged into the general diary (GD) office, where they allegedly assaulted a female constable, snatched her gold chain and destroyed official documents.The situation intensified when the lawyers freed the five detained individuals and vandalised station furniture. The commotion caused panic among complainants present at the station, and nearby shops closed down amid the unrest.Senior police officials and PAC teams arrived at the scene to control the situation. Despite their presence, nearly 300 advocates, allegedly led by lawyers Ajit Chauhan, Nazar Hussain and Prakhar Mishra, continued shouting anti-police and anti-govt slogans at the police station.Following the incident, police registered FIR against over 300 advocates on multiple charges, including assault, rioting and obstructing govt work.The second FIR was lodged by SI Yogesh Singh Sengar who stated that the lawyers had earlier created a ruckus at the police station, demanding immediate FIR copy. Despite being informed that registration process on the CCTNS system was underway, a group of advocates became agitated and hit the streets.Individuals identified in the incident include Shivam Pal, Shivpujan Yadav, Sulkhan Yadav, Shubham Yadav, Abhishek Singh, Rahul Pandey, Saurabh Kumar Verma, Ankit Dwivedi and several others. They reportedly gathered at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan crossing in a larger crowd of nearly 150 advocates, blocking the busy intersection for over two hours.During the blockade, the lawyers allegedly engaged in verbal abuse with passersby, causing severe inconvenience to commuters. The road closure disrupted traffic during the Holi festival rush, leaving many stranded. Notably, ambulances en route to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital were stuck in the jam, putting patients' lives to risk.Despite repeated warnings about imposition of Section 163 BNS prohibiting such gatherings, the lawyers allegedly continued their protest, shouting anti-govt and anti-police slogans. Following the incident, police registered FIR against the identified lawyers and others involved under various charges, including obstructing public servants, causing public nuisance and assaulting police personnel.