LUCKNOW, March 25 -- The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on Tuesday directed the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) to take immediate action on the encroachments surrounding the district and sessions court in Qaiserbagh, Lucknow. The court has sought a report by April 7 on the action taken. The division bench of Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan and Justice Rajiv Bharti passed the order while hearing a petition filed by advocate Anuradha Singh, advocate Devanshi Srivastava and her mother Arunima Srivastava. The petitioners have challenged an FIR registered against them by advocate Sujit Kumar Balmiki under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act. The petitioners alleged that Balmiki's senior Shravan Kumar has illegally set up his chamber near their house and that ruckus is created there after liquor consumption in the evening. When the petitioners object, serious altercations often take place. The petitioners alleged that it was the reason why a false report had been filed against them, even though they had already lodged an FIR on the same day of the incident. Taking a serious view of the matter, the court restrained the police from taking any action against the petitioners on the basis of the FIR and directed the police to conduct an impartial investigation and submit a report in the matter. In the course of hearing of the said case, it came to light that the old high court premises had been subjected to haphazard encroachment. It includes not only lawyers' chambers but also permanent structures housing photocopy and typing shops and even food and beverage outlets. The court expressed displeasure over it and had called a report from the municipal corporation. The municipal corporation submitted its report stating that approximately 72 encroachments were found in the area and most of which were lawyers' chambers and some were illegally constructed shops. MANOJ KUMAR SINGH...