Patna: The strike involving around 11,000 third and fourth-grade employees from 111 courts across Bihar ended on Friday after the High Court took cognizance of their demands. The employees, who were protesting against salary disparities and seeking promotions, decided to withdraw their strike following the court’s intervention.
The strike, which continued for two days, had paralyzed judicial work across the state. In district and sub-divisional courts, essential activities such as accepting bail bond papers and issuing bail release orders came to a halt. With no employees available to present records before judges, courtrooms remained largely non-functional.
The strike also impacted high-profile cases, including the hearing and judgment in the Arms Act case involving former minister Manju Verma and her husband Chandrashekhar Verma, which had to be postponed indefinitely. The disruption affected approximately 3,000 daily hearings in Begusarai courts alone, along with nearly 150 bail cases.
The protesting employees included peons, clerks, stenographers, and deposition writers, whose absence severely disrupted court paperwork and hearings. In Patna district courts alone, around 750 employees participated in the strike. Advocates supported the protest, deeming the employees’ demands for pay equity and promotion justified.
Rishikesh Narayan Sinha, General Secretary of the District Advocate Association, highlighted the widespread impact of the strike, stating, “Courtrooms were empty, with judges sitting idle in their chambers. Testimonies, prisoner productions, and judgments were all stalled, increasing difficulties for both lawyers and the public.” He also mentioned rumors about the strike ending prematurely, which were later clarified to be false.
The strike had put significant pressure on judicial proceedings and caused inconvenience to the general public. With the intervention of the High Court, work in Bihar’s courts is expected to resume smoothly, bringing relief to those awaiting hearings and judgments.
