PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE /Dehradun
The Bar Association Dehradun announced on Saturday that it will boycott the district magistrate’s court until the district magistrate is transferred from Dehradun. The decision was taken after district magistrate Savin Bansal sent a letter to the Bar Council of Uttarakhand and the Bar Council of India recommending cancellation of the licence of former bar association president Premchand Sharma for alleged breach of decorum.
Speaking to the media here on Saturday, the bar association president Anil Kukreti strongly criticised the district magistrate’s decision. He said the lawyers condemn the comments made by the DM, which were also published in the media. He also announced that lawyers will boycott revenue courts and registrar offices till Tuesday.
Kukreti said that all members of the bar association demand the immediate transfer of the district magistrate. He added that the boycott of the district magistrate’s court will continue till the transfer takes place. Meanwhile, Sharma said that he had no prior information about the matter. He came to know about the issue through the news published in newspapers. He said that if the district magistrate had any problem with him, it should have been communicated to the bar association, but no such step was taken.
Kukreti also raised concerns about alleged corruption in the district. He claimed that records are being tampered with in the record room and documents are being changed. He said complaints about these issues were already given to the sub divisional magistrate and the district magistrate, but no action has been taken so far. He added that the district magistrate is responsible for the record room. The bar association chief further alleged that the district magistrate’s PSO enters the court premises with a firearm and stands inside the courtroom, which is against court rules and amounts to disrespect of the court.
