Lucknow, Sep 29 (IANS): An FIR has been lodged against a lawyer and some unidentified persons for manhandling police and insulting a traffic police officer during a towing drive in Hazratganj area of Lucknow.

The video of the incident went viral on social media on Thursday.

“An FIR was lodged on Thursday under section 506 (criminal intimidation ) and 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of Indian Penal Code(IPC),” Arvind Kumar Verma, the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Hazratganj, said on Friday.

“The identification of the person was made on the basis of the vehicle number, which was seized and along with the owner. Several unidentified persons were also booked,” said Pramod Pandey, SHO, Hazratganj.

According to DCP traffic Ashish Srivastava, a group of men, dressed as advocates, manhandled and misbehaved with the traffic cop who had towed their vehicle, parked in the no parking zone.

“They took back the vehicle from the towing yard at Hazratganj without paying the challan. The owner was booked on the basis of the vehicle’s number plate. Several others were also booked. Soon the remaining persons will be arrested,” he said.

In the viral video, from a towing yard near Hazratganj crossing, a group of several men donning white and black uniform of lawyers are seen misbehaving with a traffic cop.

One of the men is seen intimidating the cop while he was shooting a video on his phone and was heard threatening and using offensive languages.

To control the traffic and dissuade people from parking their vehicles on roads, eleven areas in the city have been declared no-parking zones.