CHENNAI: In unprecedented violence on the Madras High Court premises, advocates protesting against the arrest of their colleagues in an assault case fought pitched battles with police personnel for several hours on Thursday. While a police station was set ablaze by the advocates, vehicles parked in the court complex were smashed by the policemen. Among those injured in the violence was a High Court judge, more than 50 lawyers and several policemen.
Police burst teargas shells to disperse the agitating lawyers. High Court judges who came to the premises to see the damage caused to advocates’ vehicles had to run when they were confronted by lathi-wielding policemen. Fire fighters who tried to put out the flames engulfing the police station were attacked by the advocates.
The chain of events was set off by the police attempt to arrest a group of advocates involved in the attack on Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy and some policemen in the court complex on Tuesday. A group of advocates demanded that Dr. Swamy be also arrested for abusing one of their colleagues on caste lines.
Heated arguments ended in violence. A group of lawyers, which was near the building housing the Family Courts, and the policemen, positioned near the High Court station, began throwing stones and bottles at each other. The policemen came out with their protective shields and began chasing away the lawyers. Several advocates, office staff and litigants ran helter-skelter, with the policemen in pursuit. The injured advocates were carried by their colleagues to a dispensary for first aid. Later, ambulances were called in to take the injured to hospital.
Even as a group of advocates kept raising slogans against the policemen, several advocates went to the chamber of the Acting Chief Justice, S.J. Mukhopadhaya, protesting against the “police excesses.” Mr. Justice Mukhopadhaya tried to pacify the advocates, but they asked him to come down and see for himself the damage caused to their vehicles, allegedly by policemen.
The judges then appealed to the advocates to maintain calm so that a solution could be found. Later, when a few judges went towards the policemen, with the slogan-raising advocates following them, the policemen resorted to lathi charge. In this melee, Justice Arumuga Perumal Adityan, was hit by a stone and he suffered a head injury. He was rushed to hospital where his condition was stated to be stable.
With reinforcements, including commandos of elite units, arriving, the police chased away all lawyers from the court premises. Following this, trouble spilled over to NSC Bose Road. A mention was made by advocate R.Vaigai before Mr. Justice Mukhopadhaya about the incident.
A holiday has been declared for the High Court for Friday.
CBI probe
The High Court has ordered a CBI enquiry and the State government has given its consent. Three committees have been formed by the High Court to assess the damage to property.
A top official said Mr. Justice Mukhopadhaya’s demand to release all those arrested on Thursday was conceded.
“This is applicable only to those advocates who were arrested on Thursday and not those arrested earlier,” he added.
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