A kidnapped lawyer, 500 angry locals, and 44 arrests: Tensions grips Mathura
A Supreme Court advocate was kidnapped on Sunday. Police stormed the house where he was confined to rescue him — and faced off with 44 armed men.
Police said the advocate was rescued after officers forcibly entered the house, where they found the former chairman and 43 of his aides armed with batons and sticks. (Express Photo) Tension gripped Mathura’s Barsana area on Sunday evening after a Supreme Court advocate was allegedly abducted and confined inside a house by a former Nagar Panchayat chairman and his aides, triggering protests by over 500 local residents demanding the lawyer’s release.
Police said the advocate was rescued after officers forcibly entered the house, where they found the former chairman and 43 of his aides armed with batons and sticks. All 44 were arrested and produced before the court, which sent them to jail on Monday on charges including abduction and attempt to murder.
Mathura SSP, Shlok Kumar, told The Indian Express, “The situation was tense and could have turned violent as over 500 people had gheraoed the house of the former Nagar Panchayat chairman, shouting to release the Supreme Court advocate detained inside. Police teams, led by senior officials, reached the place. Despite knocking on the door several times, no one responded. Some policemen even climbed to the terrace and warned the occupants inside to open the door…” he added.
“When no one responded, the policemen broke the door down and entered the house… and found the advocate detained inside a room. The advocate was rescued and all 44 men, including the former chairman, were taken into custody. The crowd standing outside, who had come to rescue the advocate, were dispersed by the officials after assuring them that strict action will be taken against the culprits,” the SSP said.
He said as per preliminary investigation, the advocate, Diwakar Sharma, and the ex-Nagar Panchayat Chairman, Baldev Chaudhary, used to be partners in the property business.
Both have homes in the Barsana area, and Sharma also operates a petrol pump near Chaudhary’s home.
Police said the two had fallen out over business-related issues and were recently involved in a dispute over the road near the petrol pump leading to Chaudhary’s house, the SSP added.
According to the SSP, Sharma and Chaudhary met at the petrol pump on Sunday evening in an attempt to resolve the dispute, but couldn’t. Police alleged that after the meeting, Sharma was intercepted by Chaudhary’s aides while returning home and forcibly taken to the house.
After being rescued, police said, Sharma alleged that he was pressured to sign documents while being held captive. Kumar said further investigation is underway to determine the exact nature of the dispute between the duo.
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