Agra / agencies
Uttar Pradesh Bar Council president Darvesh Singh was shot dead on Wednesday in the court premises here by a lawyer who then tried to kill himself, police said.
Singh, the first woman president of the bar council elected to the post two days ago, had come for a visit to the Civil Court when she was attacked around 2.30 pm.
Agra City’s Additional Superintendent of Police Praveen Verma said she was shot by lawyer Manish Sharma, who had been her long-time acquaintance.
After spraying three bullets on her, Sharma also shot himself,” the official told a news agency. “Sharma is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital and is in a critical condition.”
He said the pistol used by the lawyer is a licensed weapon and the police have taken possession of it.
Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav has condemned the incident, saying the law and order situation in the started has deteriorated.
Reacting sharply to the incident, Rashtriya Lok Dal spokesperson Anil Dubey said, “Law and order in the state has been crippled under the current regime of Yogi Adityanath.
There has been an increase in crimes like murder, loot and rape. The murder of the woman Bar Council chief is certainly a blot on the law and order situation in the state. The chief minister is holding meetings with officials over law and order while people are being shot dead on the other hand.”
Rapes, murders and political killings are increasing at an alarming rate. The CM is chairing meetings upon meetings but the law and order situation is only deteriorating.
Now the first woman head of the bar council of Agra has been shot. Even upholders of the law are not safe.
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) June 12, 2019