The Bombay High Court and district courts across the state bore a deserted look today with over a lakh lawyers registered with the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa going on strike, called to protest the police action on advocates in Jaipur and Chandigarh.
"The response to the strike was mixed in the Bombay High Court with only 70 per cent of lawyers abstaining work. However, in lower courts across the state the participation (in strike) was more than 90 per cent," council member V B Konde-Deshmukh said.
The lawyers abstained from work to protest the baton charge on lawyers in Jaipur and Chandigarh and registration of an FIR against 20 advocates, who were agitating for better pay.
While several important public interest litigations, including one against minister Sunil Tatkare, was adjourned in the High Court, proceedings at the sessions court in Mumbai were normal.
The strike was peaceful while no protests were carried out outside court premises.
The Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa has 1,30,000 members.
