New Delhi. The Allahabad High Court recently ordered the state to pay a compensation of Rs 1 to senior lawyer Dr Ashok Nigam as a token of respect in a case seeking compensation for lawyers who were killed in 2004. Was beaten by the police during a peaceful protest. The petition filed by Dr. Nigam in 2007 demanded compensation for the injured lawyers as well as appropriate action against the police personnel. The senior lawyer himself was also injured in the police action.
On March 20, a division bench of Justices Vivek Chaudhary and Om Prakash Shukla, noting that the case was quite old, asked the senior lawyer what compensation he was expecting. Dr Nigam replied that he would accept any compensation determined by the court as the fight was “more about the respect of lawyers”.
According to Bar & Bench, the court while passing the order said, “Considering the seniority and respect of the learned senior advocate/petitioner Dr. Ashok Nigam, we direct the respondents to pay Rs. 1/- as compensation to the petitioner. Give instructions.” The court also recorded in the order that Dr. Nigam is the chairman of the Elders Committee and is also a prominent lawyer of the Lucknow bench.
The commission, headed by a retired judge, earlier appointed to investigate the police action had recommended closing the case, saying things had calmed down with time. However, in 2020, the court had said that since the case involved allegations of brutal beating of lawyers by the police during a peaceful protest, the issue could not be closed in the manner suggested.
The court had said, “It is not only to maintain discipline among the administration and police personnel, who acted ruthlessly resulting in serious injuries to several advocates besides multiple fractures.” However, last month the court decided to close the case with the consent of Dr. Nigam. Advocate Nirav Chitravanshi had appeared on behalf of the petitioner.
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Tags: allahabad high court
FIRST PUBLISHED: April 3, 2024, 17:26 IST