Allahabad High Court Takes Serious Note of Assault on Lawyers at Lucknow District Court, Seeks CCTV Footage and Police Report

Lucknow: The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court has taken suo motu cognizance of an alleged incident of assault, intimidation, and obstruction of judicial proceedings involving advocates and a litigant inside the Lucknow District Court premises, describing the matter as extremely serious. The Court observed that if any advocate or litigant is prevented from seeking justice or subjected to violence within a court campus, it is not merely a criminal act but a direct attack on the justice delivery system.
The matter was heard by a special Bench comprising Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Manjeev Shukla. Advocates from Delhi informed the Court that they had come to file a vakalatnama on behalf of their client, Mohammad Shakir, but were allegedly prevented from appearing before the court by advocate Saurabh Kumar Verma and his associates. They further alleged that they were assaulted and that their client, Mohammad Shakir, was brutally beaten. The complainants also claimed they were threatened with dire consequences and pressured to withdraw the case.
During the hearing, a video of the incident was presented before the High Court. After viewing the footage, the Bench prima facie observed that the allegations appeared serious and warranted a fair and impartial investigation.
The High Court directed the District Judge, Lucknow, to submit a detailed report along with the relevant CCTV footage from the court premises. The Court also ordered the Commissioner of Police, Lucknow, to file an investigation report, verify the background of the persons involved, and directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and the Station House Officer (SHO) of Wazirganj Police Station to remain personally present at the next hearing.
The Court further instructed the authorities to provide adequate police protection to the complainant advocates and directed that the injured litigant, Mohammad Shakir, be produced before the Court on the next date of hearing.
The High Court emphasized that maintaining law and order within court premises and ensuring that every advocate and litigant can participate in judicial proceedings without fear is the responsibility of the State. The matter has been listed for further hearing, and detailed reports have been sought from the concerned authorities.