DARBHANGA, June 21 -- In a dramatic courtroom development on Friday, senior advocate Ambar Imam Hasmi was remanded to judicial custody in connection with a 1994 murder case, sparking strong protests from the Darbhanga legal fraternity. Hasmi is an accused in the three-decade-old murder of one Ramkripal Chaudhary in Patori Basant village under the jurisdiction of Bishanupur police station (case no. 58/94), now being tried as sessions case no. 326/99. The matter is currently before the court of additional district and sessions judge-III, Suman Kumar Diwakar, under strict timelines mandated by the Patna High Court for expeditious disposal, sources familiar with the matter said. On Friday, Hasmi submitted an application under section 317 of the code of criminal procedure (CrPC), seeking exemption from personal appearance. However, in an unexpected twist, he was spotted arguing a different matter in the same court the very day. Taking serious note of this contradiction, the judge questioned the credibility of the exemption request. When Hasmi's explanation failed to satisfy the court, the judge termed the conduct as a deliberate attempt to mislead the judicial process. The court rejected Hasmi's section 317 petition, promptly cancelled his bail bond and ordered his immediate arrest from within the civil court premises, following which he was sent to judicial custody. The SHO of Laheriasarai PS Amit Kumar confirmed Hasmi's arrest when contacted. The arrest, however, triggered protest across the legal community in Darbhanga. Slogans were raised inside the court campus, and several advocates condemned the action as harsh and unwarranted. The Darbhanga Bar Association quickly convened an emergency meeting. Association secretary Krishna Kumar Mishra confirmed that a group of ten lawyers submitted a formal representation to the Bar President, demanding intervention. An executive committee meeting has been scheduled for Saturday to deliberate on the issue and decide on further action....