Protesting police action, lawyers to skip courts on 11th

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  Advocates of the Egmore Court Complex staging a protest against the police in the city on Monday | p Jawahar

By Express News Service - CHENNAI

11th June 2013 08:36 AM

Members of the Madras High Court Advocates Association have decided to boycott courts, tribunals and other fora in Chennai on Tuesday also, this time to register their protest against the attack on their colleagues by the MKB Nagar police on June 9.

A resolution to this effect was adopted by the association executive committee, chaired by G Mohanakrishnan, here on Monday.

Originally, the advocates boycotted the courts on Monday in protest against DGP K Ramanujam’s alleged behaviour when the advocates tried to meet him at his office on June 6.

Even though the boycott was almost total in the subordinate courts, it was not so in the High Court.  Four to five courts, including  the first bench headed by Acting Chief Justice RK Agrawal, functioned as usual.

In other courts, judges sat in their respective court halls for some time and returned to their chambers later. Government advocates worked. While some advocates appeared without their gowns, many affected litigants appeared party in person.

They represented their cases in Tamil as well.

Social worker A Narayanan of Valsaravakkam filed writ petition challenging location of TASMAC shops and target fixure for the sales. She argued in person before the first bench comprising Acting Chief Justice RK Agrawal and Justice M Sathyanarayanan. The bench, while ordering notice on one petition, passed an interim order on the other. 

Meanwhile, the first bench ordered two weeks notice on the writ petitions from the TN Advocates Association (TNAA) and the TN Bar Council, praying for a direction to the Chief Secretary and the Home Secretary to take action against DGP Ramanujam for his alleged behaviour against the lawyers.

Their interim prayer was to place Ramanujam under suspension.

Keywords: Madras High Court, advocates protest, Egmore Bar Association, Tamil Nadu Advocates’ Association