Protesting lawyers baton charged, 10 injured

LUCKNOW - At least 10 lawyers were injured here Friday after police baton charged them while they were staging a protest demanding enhanced allocation for welfare schemes, police said.

Demanding more budgetary allocation for providing facilities to lawyers of different courts across Uttar Pradesh, several lawyers took to the streets.

The lawyers turned violent, pelting stones and torching a government vehicle after police stopped them from handing over a memorandum to Chief Minister Mayawati.

Agitated over being stopped at Parivartan Chowk, the lawyers pelted stones at police and tried to damage public property,” police inspector K.N. Mishra told reporters here.

As they turned violent, we had no other option but to use force,” added Mishra, who claimed that no one was seriously injured in the incident.

According to police, taking into account the series of violent protests by the lawyers in the past, adequate security had been deployed near Parivartan Chowk and in areas near the high court.

“The situation is now completely under control. Senior officials from the police and the district administration are monitoring the situation,” an official said.