PRAYAGRAJ, July 11 -- While observing that lawyers are working like soldiers under the very strained judicial system, the Allahabad high court imposed a cost of Rs.25,000 on the gram pradhan who threatened the petitioner's lawyer with a case under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Justice JJ Munir was on July 3 hearing a PIL petition filed by one Bano Bibi regarding encroachment of land in her locality. One Jung Bahadur had allegedly abused the petitioner's counsel (who was appearing for the petitioner before tehsil). However, before the high court he apologised for his conduct and said in an affidavit that he had no personal animosity with the lawyer and that he had no intentions to degrade the noble profession of law. He also said he will never indulge in such an act in future. The court after hearing parties concerned observed, "It is sad that Members of the Bar, who virtually work like soldiers in times of peace to secure justice for citizens, are hurled with words of criticism from all quarters for the slightest human lapse or even matters beyond their control, working as they are under a very strained judicial system." The court took the conduct of Jung Bahadur abusing a lawyer very seriously and said that it may amount to criminal contempt and observed, "In these circumstances, for a member of the public, a litigant on the other side, to abuse a learned Counsel over telephone is a very serious matter which certainly, in our opinion, borders on criminal contempt." The court then imposed a cost (fine) of Rs.25,000 on Jung Bahadur and observed, "We did spare a thought of referring this matter to the criminal contempt Bench, forwarding the sixth respondent to that Bench, to be dealt with in accordance with law. But, given his unconditional remorse, we eschew that course and, instead, think that ends of justice would be met by administering him a severe warning to be careful in future and imposing upon him costs of Rs. 25,000."...