Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh), Dec 30 (IANS): The Allahabad High Court has directed the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) of Etah, to conduct an inquiry into the alleged assault on a lawyer by police and submit a report to it by January 8.

Taking suo motu cognizance of the alleged police assault on the lawyer and his family in Etah, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh, directed the CJM to inspect all relevant audio-visual, electronic evidence and documents during the inquiry and submit complete report.

The bench also directed Etah district magistrate and senior superintendent of police to provide all relevant facts and documents as desired by the CJM. The court directed to list this petition before the court on January 8.

Earlier, the Bar council of Uttar Pradesh, the apex body of advocates in the state, had written a letter to the Chief Justice of the Allahabad high court with a request to take appropriate action on the assault incident said to have taken place on December 21.

As per the letter, Rajendra Sharma, a practicing advocate at Etah, was beaten and manhandled by police and his relatives were harassed and humiliated.

Another letter from the Allahabad High Court Bar Association (HCBA) was also received by the secretariat of the Chief Justice on the same issue. Besides, several advocates had raised the issue through e-mails.

Taking suo motu cognizance of the matter, the court observed, "Having considered the facts stated in these letters, we deem it appropriate to have a complete report of the incident through chief judicial magistrate, Etah."