Patna, May 2 (IANS) Thousands of lawyers in Bihar Wednesday abstained from work to protest against the arrest of a colleague.

The Bihar Bar Council had asked all advocates to observe a strike over the arrest of Anil Kumar Singh in Samastipur April 19.
Singh was arrested for charging a fee of Rs.30 for drafting an application, which local officials considered a bribe.
Council chairman Baleshwar Prasad Sharma said nearly 80,000 lawyers took part in the strike. The protest hit the Patna High Court too.
“We have demanded a compensation of Rs.10 lakh for Singh for the harassment and wrongful arrest and transfer of officials responsible for it,” Sharma said.