Senior Advocate Attacked In Bengaluru: Bar Council Of India Demands Urgent Protection For Lawyers

The Bar Council of India has criticised the recent attack on Senior Advocate Y.R. Sadashiva Reddy in Bengaluru calling it 'an alarming symptom of a deeper sickness now infecting the space in which legal professionals are meant to operate safely and independently'.

Reddy, who is the Co Chairman of the Bar Council of India, and also serves as a member of the Karnataka State Bar Council was attacked in broad daylight on 16 April 2025 inside his professional chamber in Bengaluru. Reportedly the attack was perpetrated by two unknown assailants who stormed his premises with iron rods, violently attacked him in the presence of his junior advocate, and inflicted multiple grievous injuries including fractures on his right forearm, left elbow, and leg.

As per the FIR filed by the Senior Advocate, the attackers were motivated by an old and settled complaint from a woman, which had been duly handled by the Karnataka State Bar Council nearly two years ago. It had no merit and was closed in accordance with the law.

In a press statement released, the BCI has expressed deep concern over the increasing pattern of threats and violence against advocates across India, particularly those engaged in sensitive or high-stakes cases. It revealed that it has received multiple complaints from lawyers facing harassment, office intrusions, and threats to their families.

In response, the BCI has issued a list of urgent demands to the Central and State Governments:

1. Advocates, regardless of rank or position, must be given police protection at their homes and offices if they face any credible threat.

"There must be zero tolerance for violence or intimidation against advocates. Every State Government and law enforcement agency must treat attacks on advocates as attacks on the legal system itself. Institutional mechanisms must be developed by State Governments and the Centre to ensure immediate, meaningful protection for practicing advocates".

2. The BCI called for the immediate arrest and custodial interrogation of the assailants who attacked Reddy, along with a thorough probe into any financial or political backing.

3. It further demands that Bar Council offices, Bar Association chambers, and court premises must be given institutional protection, including security audits, CCTV surveillance, panic buttons, and round-the-clock police presence.

4. A centralized emergency system has been suggested to be created in collaboration with the Ministry of Law and Justice for advocates to report threats and access immediate institutional support.

5. Further, BCI suggests that a joint task force comprising officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice, state police heads, and Bar Council representatives should be set up to tackle the growing threats against the legal community.

“The time for symbolic statements and empty assurances has passed. The situation has escalated beyond caution into a full-blown constitutional and professional crisis. This is no longer a matter of individual protection, it is a matter of preserving the sanctity of legal advocacy in India”.