Row rules Patna HC

Patna, Feb. 13: Ruckus ruled Patna High Court today when lawyers shouted slogans against a judge who ordered an advocate to be sent behind bars for “obstructing the court from performing its work”.

According to sources, advocate Luv Kush tried to pressure Justice D.D. Jha to allow the withdrawal of a petition on behalf of a fraud case accused, Narendra Singh, while the latter was in process of dictating an order.

Agitated by the advocate’s insistence, Jha said: “You will be sent to jail.” Then the judge called in a Marshal asking him to take the lawyer into custody and issued a showcause notice asking the lawyer to explain why he should not be sentenced to a two-day imprisonment for interrupting the court.

However, the court’s action infuriated lawyers, who gathering outside the courtroom where Jha was being held.

The advocate, too, lodged a complaint with the co-ordination committee of three high court associations — Barristers’ Association, Lawyers’ association and Advocates’ association — alleging that he was harassed by Jha.

As judges began hearing cases after the lunch recess at 2pm, angry lawyers assembled in the corridors and began sloganeering against Justice Jha.

The judges left court shortly afterwards. In the evening the situation cooled down as the lawyer, Luv Kush, offered an apology and the judge withdrew his order.