Bengal lawyers to cease work till Monday

Lawyers in West Bengal on Thursday decided to go on "cease work" till April 29, protesting against police "atrocities" and demanding arrest of police personnel who "brutally tortured" advocates, staff and judicial officers of Howrah court on Wednesday.

In a five-point resolution adopted at an emergency meeting on Thursday, the Bar Council of West Bengal decided to go on cease work till Monday. During this period, the lawyers would not attend court hearings.

Ashok Deb, chairman of Bar Council of West Bengal, told IANS that a delegation would go to Howrah court on Friday to express solidarity with the lawyers working there. Bar Council representatives will call on the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court on April 30 to register their protest about the police "atrocities" in Howrah court, he said.

All members of the bar would wear black badges on April 26 across the state to register their protest against the police excesses and observe a black day.

"We have given the authorities a deadline till 4 p.m. on Monday to act on our demands.

"If they fail to act, we will again meet on Monday to discuss our next course of action," Deb said.

The trouble between the police and the lawyers was sparked off by a dispute over vehicle parking, following which the advocates were "beaten up by the police", Deb alleged.