The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Chief Justice refuses to comment

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Tuesday, Nov 10, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Chief Justice refuses to comment

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court P.D. Dinakaran refused to react when presspersons met him on Monday evening on the premises of the Karnataka High Court to seek his reactions to advocates abstaining for the day.

The Chief Justice had conducted sittings in the afternoon.

He said he could not speak on any matters to the press, least of all on the situation at the High Court.

When he was again asked for his reaction, he said he was calm as always. Both he and Justice Gowda were jostled by the angry crowd of advocates.

Mr. Dinakaran had waved away the policemen from his court when several advocates barged into the court hall and began shouting slogans.

It later transpired that he had asked the police not to take action against the advocates.

The call for the advocates to abstain from court proceedings had initially received a mixed response.

Things soon went out of control when members of the Advocates’ Association of Bangalore (AAB) went around the High Court and other courts in Bangalore asking advocates not to attend courts.

Compared to the stormy scenes witnessed at the High Court, the situation at City Civil and Sessions Court and Magistrate’s Court complex was calm.

A group of advocates closed the gates of the City Civil Court complex in the morning and did not allow any vehicles, including those of judges and judicial staff, inside.

With many of the vehicles parked on the road, there was a traffic jam on the Old Post Office Road. The judges started court proceedings at 11 a.m.

Many of the lower courts looked vacant with only judges and the court staff present. Sessions courts and Special courts for the Lokayukta and CBI cases were conducted in absence of the advocates. While many of the courts adjourned cases on their own, there were some where the litigants had to appear to get another date.

Many advocates were found coming to the courts in the afternoon to know the date of adjournment.

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Karnataka