Group of lawyers secures release for Kashmiri vendors detained in Lucknow

 Detention of seven Kashmiri dry fruit vendors during an anti-encroachment drive on Sunday, a team of lawyers from Tanveer Law Chambers successfully secured their release on Monday. The vendors were apprehended by the Lucknow Police and Lucknow Municipal Corporation for selling dry fruits on the VIP stretch between 1090 and Samta Mulak Crossing, resulting in charges under section 151 of the CrPc.

The lawyers, including Md Tanveer, Anas Ahmad, Nusrat Hussain, and Mohd Tayyab, bailed out the Kashmiri vendors from the Gomti Nagar police station. The legal team paid a bail bond of ₹50,000 to the police and signed an undertaking, ensuring that the vendors would not continue selling at the contested location. The detention had sparked public outcry after videos circulated on social media depicting police manhandling the vendors during the anti-encroachment drive.

Lucknow Police clarified that the crackdown was a routine measure due to the VIP movement on the specified stretch. The vendors allegedly misbehaved with Lucknow Municipal Corporation officials during the drive, prompting their detention. The intervention by the group of lawyers highlights the delicate balance between urban development initiatives and the protection of the livelihoods of street vendors.