LUCKNOW: UP Bar Council’s newly-elected and first woman chairperson Darvesh Yadav was shot dead allegedly by her longtime friend and colleague at a welcome ceremony organised in her honour on Agra court premises on Wednesday.
As per the police, Darvesh Yadav, 38, was shot at around 2.30 pm when Sharma suddenly got up during her felicitation ceremony in the chamber of another lawyer Arvind Kumar Mishra and shot Darvish three times with his licensed revolver hitting her in head, chest and abdomen. He later shot himself in head.
Subsequent to the incident, a huge contingent of Agra police led by ADG Agra zone Ajay Anand, SSP Agra Jogendra Kumar and the forensic team reached Agra court for gathering the evidence. Agra City’s Additional Superintendent of Police Praveen Verma said Sharma was a long-time acquaintance of Yadav and shared her office premises. He is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital and is in a critical condition.
Sharma was believed to be the greatest supporter of Yadav and was perceived nothing less than a shadow to her for over a decade and a half. The sources claimed that he had campaigned for her vigorously during her election to the headship of bar council.
As per the local sources, there had been a verbal duel between Darvesh and Manish in the presence of a group of advocates in the afternoon. Following the heated exchange, Manish went out of the chamber of Advocate Mishra, loaded his revolver and came back to shoot Darvesh dead.
Darvesh, a native of Etah, was appointed as chairperson of UP bar council on Sunday. She was supposed to hold the post for six months. She had shifted her base from Etah to Agra in 2004. Manish had been associated with her since then.
According to station house officer of New Agra, Darvesh’s body was sent for autopsy, while Manish, who shot himself was referred to a Delhi hospital in critical condition. Though the exact reason for the shoot-out was yet to be known, an FIR was lodged against Manish on the basis of written complaint given by
victim’s nephew Sunny Yadav under IPC section 302 (murder).