Tension prevailed at the Metropolitan Magistrate Court on Nrupatunga Road adjacent to the Police Headquarters here on Thursday evening when a group of advocates chased away journalists who turned up to report on the terror suspects who were produced before the magistrate.
A group of 30 reporters and camerapersons had stationed themselves at the court at 11 a.m. Though the camera crew were not allowed inside, those waiting outside the courts tried to film a van carrying the suspects when it arrived around 5 p.m.
Soon, a group of advocates surrounded two journalists, including a woman reporter with a national news channel and snatched her iPad. One of the advocate pushed her, calling her names, and shouted: “How dare you come here after defaming us? Get out of here; you have no business to be here.”
When the others took up the refrain, a senior police officer intervened and escorted the woman journalist outside. However, a colleague accompanying her was hit on the head by a mob of advocates who then pelted stones and chased the journalists.
Custody extended
Meanwhile, the II Additional Metropolitan Magistrate court extended the custody of the 11 of the 18 suspects till September 27. The remaining will be produced in court on Friday.
The custody was extended even before defence counsel Anees Ali Khan could argue the case. Mr. Khan said he was considering approaching the higher court objecting to this.
