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Synopsis

The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday issued notice to two lawyers and prohibited them from entering the premises of District Judgeship at Allahabad. Court also restrained the lawyers from practice in Uttar Pradesh. 

The high court had received a reference from the Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division), Prayagraj stating that while proceedings in a matter were going on, a group of lawyers entered the court and started pressurizing the presiding officer to take up another matter in which the plaintiff himself was a lawyer. 

The allegations against Advocates Ran Vijay Singh and Mohd. Asif were that they had brought the crowd inside the courtroom.

The presiding officer was pressurized to take up the case immediately and the litigants of the aforesaid matter were physically assaulted inside the court. The presiding officer was also ill-treated. 

The presiding officer, in her order, mentioned that the President of the Bar tried to resolve the issue but Advocates Ran Vijay Singh and Mohd. Asif did not even listen to the President and the President thereafter had to leave the court to save himself.

The crowd which had come in support of unscrupulous lawyers came on the dias and physically assaulted Monis Parvez Ansari and his wife. When these litigants tried to enter the chamber in order to save themselves the crowd brought by the aforesaid two advocates entered the chamber of the Presiding Officer and physically assaulted the litigants.

Moreover, the presiding officer had to rush to the chamber of the Chief Judicial Magistrate to save herself. The police arrived much later.

The division bench of Justices Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Mohd. Azhar Husain Idrisi said:

"It has left a serious question mark on the manner in which the court proceedings are being conducted. The reference made by the Presiding Officer shows a complete breakdown of the court proceedings at the instance of lawyers. Instances of this kind pose a serious challenge to the very functioning of the judicial system and the incident has to be viewed seriously."

Having found prima facie allegation to exist of criminal contempt against Advocates Ran Vijay Singh and Mohd. Asif, court issued notices to them as to why they be not punished for committing criminal contempt.

Court also called upon the District Judge, Prayagraj to submit a report after perusing the CCTV footage etc. relating to involvement of other counsels or individuals who too had committed contempt.

Furthermore, court invoked its jurisdiction under Chapter XXIV Rule 11(2) of Allahabad High Court Rules, 1952 to impose a ban of the lawyers from practicing. 

The Commissioner of Police, Prayagraj has also been asked by the court to submit a report with regard to security arrangements existing in the court premise.

The Commissioner will also ensure that adequate police force is deployed on the instructions of the District Judge, Prayagraj so that the incident of this kind does not recur, the division bench ordered. 

Case Title: In Re v. Ranvijay Singh And Others