Lawyers in the State capital suspended all legal proceedings on Monday to protest the brutal murder of advocate Sanjay Kumar Saxena in Karera. Demonstrating within the court premises, the advocates raised slogans and submitted a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister, demanding the immediate implementation of the Advocate Protection Act across the State. Senior advocate Zafar Raja highlighted that while serious crimes against lawyers have occurred periodically, no concrete legislation has been enacted for their safety. He noted that despite repeated appeals, the Government has yet to address the issue with the required urgency. Advocate Jagdish Gupta added that the Karera homicide has sparked widespread outrage among the legal fraternity, vowing that protests will continue until a safety law is implemented.

 

The total halt in judicial work left hundreds of litigants in distress. Among them was Tulsi, a woman who had travelled to the court for her son’s bail hearing in a fraud case. Upon arrival, she was informed that the proceedings were cancelled due to the strike. Many other litigants were seen waiting for hours at lawyers’ chambers, unaware of the work suspension. The protest stems from the events of February 14, when advocate Sanjay Kumar Saxena was intercepted and shot dead while on his way to court. The attack was reportedly fuelled by a long-standing dispute. The protesting legal community is now demanding that the case be tried in a fast-track court and investigated by a specialised agency to ensure a rigorous probe and deter future attacks on legal professionals.