In a shocking display of violence on the Lucknow-Sultanpur Highway, a lawyer was severely beaten by toll plaza employees in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki district following a minor dispute. The incident, which took place at the Bara Toll Plaza, has sparked outrage within the legal community after a video of the assault surfaced on social media.
The Incident
According to reports, the victim, identified as Ratnesh Shukla, a lawyer residing in Pratapgarh, was traveling to the Lucknow High Court in his private vehicle. The situation escalated when a verbal altercation broke out between Shukla and the toll booth staff over a minor issue at the toll gate.
Witnesses and reports state that the verbal exchange quickly turned physical. Aggressive toll workers reportedly surrounded Shukla, chased him down, and subjected him to a brutal assault.
Viral Video: Coerced Apology
A video of the incident, which has since gone viral on various social media platforms, captures the severity of the attack. In the footage, the toll employees can be seen not only beating the lawyer but also forcing him to apologize under duress. The attackers are heard shouting, “Say sorry… say sorry, you were rude,” while continuing to strike the victim.
Legal Protests and Police Action
The circulation of the video and the news of the assault drew an immediate and strong reaction from the legal fraternity. A large number of lawyers gathered at the Haidergarh Kotwali police station, staging a protest against the “hooliganism” of the toll plaza staff and demanding immediate legal action against the perpetrators.
Responding to the unrest and the severity of the allegations, the police acted swiftly. Haidergarh Kotwali Inspector Abhimanyu Mall confirmed that a case has been registered based on the written complaint (tahrir) filed by the victim.
Inspector Mall stated, “Based on the complaint regarding the assault on lawyer Ratnesh Shukla, we have registered a case. Three toll employees, identified as Golu, Ravi Verma, and Lavlesh Mishra, have been taken into custody.”
The police have assured that further legal proceedings are currently in progress.
