WB-LAWYERS-CEASEWORK

Lawyers call off strike after month-long shutdown across
Bengal courts
    Kolkata, May 24 (PTI) Lawyers suspended their strike
on Friday after a month-long of absolute shutdown across
courts in Bengal, which was called to protest alleged excesses
by police during a clash between advocates and civic employees
in Howrah.
    Bar Council of West Bengal vice-president Siddhartha
Mukhopadhyay said that lawyers have been requested to join
work from Saturday.
    "The Bar Council executive has decided to temporarily
suspend the ceasework till September 2, when it will discuss
a report that will be placed by the one-man commission
appointed by the Calcutta High Court to look into the issue,"
Mukhopadhyay said.
    The report is likely to be submitted before the high
court in the last week of August.
    A division bench of the high court appointed the
commission after hearing a suo motu case initiated by Chief
Justice T B N Radhakrishnan with regard to the clash that
occurred on April 24.
    Several persons, including lawyers, were injured in
the incident when police allegedly entered the Howrah court
premises, without requisite permissions, and baton charged to
control the mob.
    Lawyers of the Howrah district court and the staff of
Howrah Municipal Corporation, premises of which are located
opposite to each other, had allegedly clashed over issues
relating to parking of vehicles.
    Following the incident, the Bar Council asked all bar
associations, representing lawyers at different courts in the
state, to observe ceasework.
    The council has been extending the ceasework ever
since it began on April 26, demanding action against the
police personnel involved. PTI AMR
SOM SOM