Who is Amina Khatun? Police Enter Lawyer Chambers at Lucknow High Court, Action Taken

Lucknow: In a dramatic incident at the Lucknow High Court premises, three police officers faced disciplinary action for entering lawyer chambers without permission while attempting to apprehend a woman accused of cow smuggling, Amina Khatun.

The police had set up a trap outside the High Court to catch the accused. However, Amina managed to evade their custody and entered the High Court premises. Acting on the information that she was inside a lawyer’s chamber, the officers followed her in. This led to a confrontation with the lawyers, who protested the unauthorized entry, resulting in a significant commotion. Following the incident, an FIR was lodged against the three officers, and two sub-inspectors and a constable were suspended.

The Incident
Lawyers were outraged as police entered the chambers without authorization. According to court rules, police cannot conduct searches or arrests within the High Court premises without explicit permission from the Registrar or a judicial officer. This rule applies to arrests, searches, or summoning anyone to court.

Who is Amina Khatun?
On 14 January, a case under the Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act was registered against Mohammad Wasif of Aminabad, Lucknow. During investigation, Amina Khatun was also named as an accused. Police attempted to apprehend her several times, but she avoided capture. On Monday afternoon, the Kakorikhan police received information that Amina was visiting her relative Gurfan Siddiqui at the High Court. Acting on this, Sub-Inspectors Usman Khan and Lakhan Singh, and Constable Pushpendra Singh entered the High Court premises and tried to arrest her in Gurfan’s chamber.

Lawyers Protest
Lawyers immediately surrounded the officers and raised objections to the attempt, citing that such action without court authorization is illegal. The Vibhutikhanda police arrived at the scene to control the situation and escorted the officers out, calming the lawyers.

Action Taken Against Police Officers
An FIR was lodged by lawyer Sajjad Hussain and the High Court Registrar of Security, Shailendra Kumar, against the three police officers. They have been charged with providing false information, criminal overreach, fraud, and intimidation. Following the incident, DCP West, Vishwajeet Srivastava, ordered the suspension of all three officers.

The complaint further stated that the officers had falsely recorded in the High Court entry register that they were visiting the Advocate General’s office (CSC), but instead entered Gurfan Siddiqui’s chamber where they attempted the arrest.