Surat courts hit by striking lawyers

SURAT, June 17: Normal functioning of the city and district sessions court was affected on the first day of the two-day agitation programme by the Surat District Bar Association. Less than half the number of advocates attended work on Thursday. The advocates boycotted work as a mark of protest against the 8220;inefficient8221; handling of the sensational Nita Satbhaya murder case by the DCB.

Although advocates attended to urgent matters like bail applications, remand procedures and important cases, all other routine work at the court premises near Parle Point area was boycotted. The advocates however, did not resort to more stringent methods of protest like picketing, dharna, fast-unto-death and burning of effigies 8212; which they carried out in the past six months 8212; and instead just sat in the conference room or did not remain present at the court.

There is however a distinct feeling both among advocates and the general public that the agitation would not bear much fruit. A number of advocates felt that the tempo with which the agitation began on December 19 had not been maintained. In fact, the advocates did not protest since mid-April, when the DCB failed to file a chargesheet against the three accused whom it arrested. Chandrakant Kahar, Naresh Patel and Kallu Dagga, the three arrested are presently on bail.