LUCKNOW, Jan. 17 -- The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has terminated the contract of M/s Skylark Infra Engineering Pvt Ltd, the toll agency operating at Bara Toll Plaza on Lucknow-Sultanpur NH-731, following the assault on an Allahabad high court advocate on January 14. A new toll agency has been appointed to ensure smooth operations. According to a senior official of the NHAI in Lucknow, the newly appointed agency was mobilised and began functioning at Bara Toll Plaza from 8 PM on January 16. The agitation by lawyers over the alleged assault on the advocate, gathered further momentum as advocates from Lucknow took the lead in demanding strict action against the toll plaza employees responsible. More than 150 lawyers from Lucknow's civil courts staged a protest on Thursday, while the agitation continued on Friday, with a similar number of advocates once again assembling near the toll plaza at Haidergarh. What began as a local protest by Barabanki lawyers escalated into a wider agitation after Lucknow-based advocates joined in, accusing the police of initially adopting a lenient approach against toll workers allegedly involved in the attack on advocate Ratnesh Kumar Shukla. Despite assurances from the police and administration, lawyers regrouped on Friday with nearly the same strength at Haidergarh, reiterating their demands and warning of an expanded agitation if strict action was not taken. The protest once again disrupted traffic movement in the area, though police reinforcements prevented any major escalation. Anil Mishra, former joint secretary of the Awadh Bar Association, was among the lawyers who went to protest from Lucknow. He said, "We want action against the accused to be taken under Section 307 of the IPC. We told Vikas Chandra Tripathi, additional SP, that if strict action is not taken, the protest will continue."htc...