Lucknow Demolition Drive: Following the High Court’s directive, the Lucknow Municipal Corporation on Sunday launched an anti-encroachment drive along Kachari Road, demolishing allegedly illegal lawyers’ chambers and roadside shops amid heavy police deployment. The action, carried out in the presence of PAC personnel, triggered massive protests by lawyers, leading to sloganeering, stone-pelting and a subsequent police lathi-charge to bring the situation under control, jagran.com reported.
During the action, a lawyer attempted suicide, while others lay on the ground. Some lawyers also allege injuries during the lathicharge. Officials said the crowd was dispersed using force after a police officer was injured in the stone-pelting.
100 Lawyer Chambers Demolished
During this period, around 100 chambers were demolished. Due to protests, the action had to be stopped at 1:30 pm. The team reconvened the action in the evening, but the action was postponed at sunset. The Municipal Corporation is required to submit an affidavit to the High Court on May 25, promising to remove the remaining illegal encroachments before then.
The Municipal Corporation team arrived on Kachari Road around 9 am Sunday morning with bulldozers and a heavy police force. The team first demolished approximately 80 chambers on the Health Building and 17-18 chambers on the Registration Building. Despite the holiday, a large number of lawyers arrived at the scene upon hearing of the action and began protesting.
Some lawyers stood in front of the bulldozer, while others lay down on the ground. Several lawyers alleged that a shrine had not been demolished despite being marked in red. Similarly, some lawyers alleged that two encroachments had not been demolished due to pressure from the Bar Association, leading to anger. Near the Registrar's office, 70 to 80 lawyers began shouting slogans, leading to a tense situation.
They claimed that construction on revenue land was also being demolished. Then, some in the crowd began pelting stones at the police, injuring a constable. When the police resorted to lathi charge, some lawyers even threatened to attack municipal officials.
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Dharna Staged By Lawyers
Central Bar Association General Secretary Avneesh Dixit joined the lawyers in staging a sit-in on the street. He said that many lawyers had already vacated their chambers. Nevertheless, the administration arrived with a large police force and PAC. DCP West Kamlesh Dixit attempted to persuade the lawyers, but no consensus could be reached.
Additional Municipal Commissioner Pankaj Srivastava stated that a progress report on the removal of illegal encroachments will be submitted to the High Court on May 25.
Action Taken After High Court Order
A bench of Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan and Justice Rajiv Bharti, while hearing a petition filed on March 11 by advocate Anuradha Singh, advocate Devanshi Srivastava and Devanshi's mother Arunima Srivastava, had ordered the removal of illegal encroachments from Kachari Road, but the Municipal Corporation did not take any action, saying that it was not possible to remove the illegal encroachments without adequate police force.
The court expressed its displeasure during the two subsequent hearings, and in the next hearing, the court ordered the district administration to provide adequate police force and summoned a report on the action taken on May 25. The petition alleged that anarchy was being perpetrated under the guise of illegal encroachments by constructing chambers.
Plan To Remove Illegal Encroachments
-The Municipal Corporation team had arrived with ten bulldozers to remove the encroachment.
-Two companies of PAC were deployed to remove illegal encroachments.
-Police force from 14 police stations was deployed on Kachari Road as a precautionary measure.
-More than 500 policemen were from several police stations including Wazirganj, Kaiserbagh, Chowk, Thakurganj, Malihabad, Talkatora and Para.
How Action Began
Since January 2026, complaints had been continuously received regarding illegal encroachments outside the court premises. Advocate Sunita Singh and others had filed petitions in the High Court. On May 7, the High Court ordered the encroachments to be removed. On May 12, the Municipal Corporation marked the illegal chambers in red and issued a notice to vacate the premises by May 16.