Meghalaya lawyers boycott courts, demand Advocate General Amit Kumar’s removal
Meghalaya lawyers boycotted court proceedings and held a protest in Shillong, demanding the resignation or removal of Advocate General Amit Kumar.
On Thursday, lawyers in Meghalaya took to the streets in Shillong to boycott court proceedings and demand the resignation of Advocate General Amit Kumar. The protest was sparked by alleged remarks Kumar made during court proceedings concerning the safety of women in the legal profession. Lawyers argued that Kumar's handling of the issue was inappropriate and how it was reported.
A meeting of bar associations on August 24 unanimously decided to seek Kumar's removal from Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma. The agitation also led to a dispute with a local newspaper, with the bar bodies accusing the paper of presenting a misleading narrative. The bar associations vowed to boycott the newspaper, refuse to represent clients, and consider legal action against the reports.
They also questioned Kumar's appointment of his son to represent the state in the Supreme Court and demanded information about expenditure by the Advocate General and his legal team. The lawyers were angered by Chief Minister Sangma's recent praise for Kumar as Advocate General, which was seen as hurtful. In Tura, lawyers participated in the protest by abstaining from court work.
The Tura Bar Association's secretary pledged support for the Shillong-based bar bodies. The protest culminated in a march, sit-in, and submission of a memorandum to the Governor, with the bar associations committing to continue the agitation until Kumar's resignation or removal.
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