Media-lawyers clash: Bangalore courts to remain shut today

Mangaloretoday/ PTI

Bangalore, March 3: All courts will be shut on Saturday after Friday’s violence the city’s civil court premises. Hundreds of lawyers took on media persons at the court barring them from entering the premises and also threw stones and bottles on them. Several journalists and policemen were injured and a few cameras and media vans were damaged too.

Karnataka Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda will meeting the Karnataka Home Ministry and law department officials on Saturday to decide what action needs to be taken. The Congress will hold a protest on Saturday while members of the Press Club will also hold a rally.

Meanwhile, 18 Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai, the Karnataka DGP assured that law will take its own course without favouring anybody.

 

"It is an unfortunate incident. Lawyers are also a part of the criminal justice system, they should have behaved responsibly. Whatever incidents have taken place have already been controlled, peace has been restored, we have registered criminal cases, we will identify the culprits and we will take action," the Karnataka DGP said.

On being asked whether the lawyers will be arrested as this is not the first time the lawyers have behaved in such a manner, the DGP said, "The law of the country is very clear, except the President of India, the Governor of the state, anybody can be prosecuted and criminal proceedings can be launched. No profession, no individual is above the law. Whoever has violated law will be dealt with according to law."

High drama was witnessed outside the civil court in Bangalore when unruly lawyers attacked mediapersons and pelted stones damaging OB vans, leaving at least 20 scribes and police personnel injured.

A judicial probe was ordered by the state government after vehement media protests over the incident.

The court complex turned into a battle zone as the rampaging advocates targeted journalists, particularly electronic media crew, who had gathered to cover the appearance of mining baron G Janardhana Reddy before a court in an illegal mining case.

Lawyers were caught on camera hurling stones, chairs and water bottles at the media, police and public. They also attacked vehicles, including a police van, in front of a police outpost in the court premises.

It was a surcharged atmosphere as some lawyers went on an attacking spree without any provocation, identifying visual media personnel. Their cameras were snatched by the lawyers who abused them, objecting to the media presence.

Finding the situation getting out of hand, police burst teargas shells and later lathicharged the lawyers when the cops themselves became targets.

The city police promulgated prohibitory orders around the complex till Saturday but have not made any arrest so far.

The lawyers turned their ire against mediapersons as they were also stated to be unhappy about the news coverage of a protest staged by them in January, which had caused a huge traffic gridlock in the nerve centre of the city and earned the public anger.