New Delhi [India], January 16 : The Bar Council of India (BCI), through its Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra, has called for immediate and effective police action under the current criminal law framework in connection with the alleged assault on an advocate at a toll plaza in Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki district, terming the incident a serious affront to the rule of law and the justice delivery system.
In a representation dated January 15, 2026, written by Mishra, who is also a senior advocate of the Supreme Court and a Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) and addressed to the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court, the BCI flagged the alleged attack on Advocate Ratnesh Shukla at the Gotona Bara toll plaza on the Lucknow Sultanpur highway.
The incident is stated to have occurred on January 14, following an altercation over toll payment.
According to the letter, toll plaza staff allegedly surrounded, chased, abused, and assaulted the advocate, causing injuries. It further records that police reached the spot and shifted the injured advocate to a Community Health Centre for medical treatment.
The BCI referred to a widely circulated video of the incident, which purportedly shows multiple toll plaza employees assaulting the advocate and forcing him to apologise publicly while continuing to beat him. Mishra noted that the repeated public humiliation of an advocate at a public utility point has generated widespread outrage within the legal fraternity.
While acknowledging reports that an FIR has been registered on the advocate's complaint and that three toll plaza employees have been taken into custody for questioning, the BCI expressed concern over the absence of clarity on arrests, the penal provisions invoked, and the extent of custodial and forensic steps undertaken so far.
It stressed that an assault on an advocate is not merely an offence against an individual but an attempt to intimidate officers of the court, with a chilling effect on public confidence in lawful processes.
Emphasising decisive action under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, all of 2023, the BCI said such cases require prompt registration of cognisable offences, swift preservation of evidence, identification of every participant, and timely lawful arrests wherever prima facie involvement is disclosed.
The letter highlighted that toll plazas are ordinarily covered by extensive CCTV systems, control room feeds, lane-wise and barrier logs, and FASTag transaction records, all of which constitute perishable electronic evidence.
It warned that routine overwriting, deletion, or tampering could occur unless the entire electronic ecosystem is immediately seized, forensically imaged, and preserved with a clear chain of custody.
Among the immediate steps sought, the BCI requested that complete FIR particulars, including the police station, case number, and sections invoked, be formally placed on record, and that any omissions affecting the gravity of the offences be corrected without delay. It also sought arrest and remand of the accused wherever prima facie material exists, to prevent absconding, witness intimidation, or evidence tampering.
The BCI further called for the constitution of a special investigation team under a senior officer to ensure a swift and impartial probe, with accountability for timelines relating to seizures, arrests, forensic analysis, and filing of the final report. It also urged that statements of all relevant witnesses be recorded promptly and that protective measures be taken to safeguard the advocate, his family, and witnesses.
Given the public order implications of the incident, BCI requested authorities to examine, in accordance with statutory thresholds and constitutional safeguards, whether any stringent preventive measures under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986 or other applicable special laws are attracted.
The Bar Council has sought an action taken report within 48 hours, detailing FIR particulars, sections invoked, status of arrests and remand, and steps taken for seizure and forensic preservation of electronic evidence. The representation was also marked to the Chief Justice of India, the Union Minister for Law and Justice, the Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh, the Superintendent of Police, Barabanki, and the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh.