HC orders action against72 illegal lawyer chambers

tnnLucknow: The Lucknow bench of Allahabad high court has expressed strong objection to the advocates’ chambers built illegally on the public pathways around the old HC premises, district and sessions court, collectorate, board of revenue, Old Sadar tehsil premises, sub-registrar office, commissionerate, power sub- station, Balrampur Hospital, Kaiserbagh bus station and transport department’s workshop in Kaiserbagh.The court has ordered the district administration and LMC to take action and submit report. The court said such chambers cannot be permitted to operate as they cause significant nuisance in the area. HC has directed the district administration and police to assist LMC in removing the encroachments. The court has summoned action taken report from the authorities on May 6.A bench of Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan and Justice Rajiv Bharti passed the order on a writ petition filed by Anuradha Singh and others.The court found that a large number of lawyers have illegally constructed their chambers. People have even set up permanent photocopy and typing shops in these areas and some fruit vendors have also illegally occupied them. The court stated that this is causing significant inconvenience to residents and passersby. The court found that this issue is of public interest and ordered its registry to register separate public interest litigation on the matter.The court said that it understood that lawyers needed chambers, which was why several new chambers had been constructed for lawyers in the district and sessions court and the collectorate complex. The court has said that the said chambers will be allotted soon.In its order, the bench said , “One incident has been brought to its notice in which an ambulance could not pass from the aforesaid area just because of illegal encroachment resulting in the death of a patient in it.”In the previous hearing, the court had required a report from the municipal corporation, which submitted it, stating that it had identified 72 illegal lawyer chambers so far. The municipal corporation stated that it had written to the district magistrate and police commissioner seeking assistance in removing the encroachments.