Lawyer accused in murder case attacked inside Pilibhit district court, two held

Pilibhit (UP), Oct 14 (PTI) A lawyer accused in a murder case was attacked with a sharp-edged weapon inside the Pilibhit district court premises where he appeared for a hearing in the case on Tuesday, police said.

The injured advocate, identified as Ompal Verma, a resident of Khardai village, was rushed to the district hospital, where he is undergoing treatment, they said.

A sub-inspector deployed at the court, Arvind Tyagi, was also injured while trying to save the lawyer, officials said.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Abhishek Yadav said Verma, who practices in Bisalpur, had come to the court for a hearing in a 2022 murder case registered at Bisalpur police station, in which he is an accused.

During the hearing, members of the complainant's side attacked him with a baanka (a sharp-edged weapon).

According to police, three men -- identified as Brijnandan, Surendra, and another associate -- carried out the attack, injuring Verma on his head and hands.

The attackers had allegedly hidden the weapon inside an umbrella and approached Verma from behind before launching the attack.

Two of the attackers have been arrested, while efforts are on to nab the third, the police said.

The SSP assured the local bar associations that strict action would be taken and that security in the court premises would be strengthened.

Eyewitnesses told police that the attackers struck repeatedly without warning, leaving the lawyer bleeding on the ground. Fellow advocates rushed him to the hospital, where doctors said his condition was stable though he had suffered deep wounds.

The incident has triggered outrage among local lawyers, who have condemned the attack and demanded tighter security inside court premises. PTI COR ABN NB