Agra lawyers observe ‘black day’
AGRA : Recalling the police lathi-charge on lawyers on September 26, 2001, advocates in Agra gathered at gate no. 2 of the civil Court premises on Sunday and observed the day as Black Day. A human chain was formed and concern was expressed over inaction on the part of successive governments as they failed to provide justice to lawyers despite lapse of 20 long years.
“It was on the instruction of the then government that police entered civil court premises on September 26, 2001 and cane charged the lawyers holding peaceful meeting to press their demand for a high court bench in Agra. The police action was meant to teach the lawyers a lesson as they disrupted the public meeting of the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in Mathura a day before,” alleged advocate Ajay Singh, convenor of ‘Janmanch’ in Agra.
“Besides this, the lawyers were also blamed for causing disruption in public meeting of the then chief minister Rajnath Singh. In reaction to these disruptions, the lawyers were thrashed brutally by armed police on September 26, 2001 and even judicial officers, staff members and litigants on court premises were not spared,” alleged Singh.
“Successive governments failed to take action against those indicted by Justice Girdhar Malviya Commission constituted to probe the police brutality, even though 20 years have passed. So lawyers observed Sunday as ‘Black Day’ and formed human chain on MG Road,” he said.
IN REACTION TO THESE DISRUPTIONS, THE LAWYERS WERE THRASHED BRUTALLY BY ARMED POLICE ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2001