MEERUT: Lawyers across all districts of Uttar Pradesh extended their strike for three more days, starting Monday, following the directives of the UP Bar Council. Theyre protesting the lathicharge on lawyers by police in Hapur. The lawyers demanded the transfer of Hapur District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police, filing of FIRs against the policemen, withdrawal of false cases against lawyers and compensation for those injured during the lathicharge.On August 25, an altercation broke out between a woman lawyer and a police constable in Hapur district on the main road. The police lodged an FIR against the advocate and her father. Tension escalated last Tuesday when lawyers gathered to protest the registration of the FIR near Hapur police station. Police resorted to a lathicharge in which several lawyers were injured. It led to protests by lawyers, affecting court proceedings across the state.Shiv Kishor Gaur, president, Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh, told TOI that theyve called a three-day strike, which may get extended if their demands are not heard. "We had several meetings with high court bar members and government representatives looking into the matter. Our strike will continue till our demands are met," said Gaur. The state government had constituted a Special Investigation Team headed by the Meerut commissioner and with IG Meerut and Moradabad DIG as members to probe the incident.Kunwar Pal Sharma, president, Western UP Adhivakta Sangharsh Samiti, said theyre joining the protest at the direction of the UP Bar Council. "We met the Meerut Zone IG to hand over a memorandum of demands. A retired Supreme Court or high court judge should be part of the SIT," Sharma said.Yogesh Sharma, president, bar council of Kasganj district in eastern Uttar Pradesh, said the Advocates Protection Act should be implemented in the state without delay. "All facilities and benefits given to advocates in other states should be extended to those in UP. Cops responsible should be punished," he added.Several districts, including Prayagraj, Meerut, Hapur, etc., witnessed little activity in the courts. Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh, who met lawyers in Hapur on Monday, lashed out at the BJP-led UP government for delaying action in the matter.

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