A protest by lawyers over access to Shimla’s sealed roads on Tuesday led to traffic disruptions and the challaning of several vehicles, including one belonging to the PWD Minister’s mother, sparking a significant law and order incident in the Himachal Pradesh capital.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that the demonstration originated from lawyers’ dissatisfaction with restrictions imposed on their movement via sealed roads, a privilege they claimed was essential for reaching court premises and had been a tacit understanding.
The lawyers began stopping vehicles passing through the restricted stretch, scrutinizing permits. Any vehicle found without proper authorization was subject to demands for on-the-spot challans by the police. Among the vehicles halted was one carrying Pratibha Singh, former Congress state president and mother of PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh. Police later confirmed that her vehicle was indeed challaned for unauthorized use of the sealed road. Reports indicated that vehicles belonging to a senior police officer and a senior bureaucrat also faced penalties for lacking necessary permits.
The lawyers escalated their demonstration by staging a protest outside the Secretariat. This action persisted for over two hours, causing significant traffic snarls and bringing movement to a standstill on Circular Road, a critical artery in Shimla. Protesters raised slogans against the state government, while commuters experienced extensive delays.
Hamender Chandel, president of the High Court Bar Association, articulated that the protest was a response to escalating restrictions on lawyers’ access to sealed and restricted roads, which he contended were routinely used for professional duties. He alleged that despite this, lawyers were recently warned of challans, while politicians and senior bureaucrats continued to traverse these routes with apparent impunity.
The agitation concluded after Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu held discussions with representatives from the lawyers’ association. He assured them that a mechanism would be established to facilitate their access to these restricted roads.
According to Chandel, the Chief Minister consented to the issuance of passes for lawyers who regularly practice in the High Court. He expressed optimism that this provision would not be subjected to misuse. This development comes in the wake of the state government’s decision, made during the Budget Session, to raise the permit fee for restricted and sealed roads from Rs 2,500 to Rs 10,000.
Separately, the police have initiated a case against the protesting lawyers. Charges include obstructing public way, disobeying lawful orders, and creating public inconvenience. Authorities stated that the demonstrators assembled in a restricted area, impeding traffic around the Secretariat and causing hardship to both residents and commuters, despite the availability of designated protest sites.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
