Stepping up their agitation demanding withdrawal of the recent amendments to statutory rules of the Madras High Court, empowering courts to debar erring lawyers, about 165 advocates courted arrest in Ramanathapuram and Sivaganga districts after they staged a rail roko on Wednesday.
Led by Azhagu Balakrishnan, president of Ramanathapuram Bar Association, the lawyers, carrying black flags, went in a procession to the railway station and courted arrest in a bid to block the Tiruchi-Rameswaram passenger train. A strong posse of policemen, acting under supervision of Superintendent of Police. N Manivannan and Assistant Superintendent of Police S. Sarvesh Raj, arrested about 110 advocates when they assembled on the railway track but the train was stopped outside the station. The train was held up briefly and left for Rameswaram.
The lawyers were arrested under Section 151 of Indian Penal Code (unlawful assembly), detained in a marriage hall and released in the evening. Those courted arrest included lawyers who were members of bar associations of Paramakudi, Mudukulathur, Thiruvadanai and Rameswaram.
Sivaganga
Fifty-five lawyers were arrested when they blocked the Manamadurai-Mannarkudi passenger train at Sivaganga railway station. They were detained in a marriage hall and released in the evening.
The lawyers, who had been boycotting the courts, staged the stir as part of a State-wide agitation in response to a call given by the Bar Federations of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. They are demanding withdrawal of the amendments in toto .
The amendments were ‘draconian’ in nature and they would seriously affect their free functioning, they said.
The full bench of Madras High Court has assured that no action would be taken against lawyers under the present amendments but they would call off the agitations only if the amendments were withdrawn, they said.
Dindigul
About 200 lawyers in Dindigul and Palani courted arrest when they picketed trains.
About 100 lawyers picketed Tirunelveli-Erode / Mayiladuthurai passenger train at Dindigul railway station. In Palani, lawyers picketed Madurai-Pollachi passenger train.
