Advocates boycotted the Madras High Court, tribunals and consumer forums on Monday to protest the alleged “unparliamentary and unwarranted” remarks by the Director-General of Police, K. Ramanujam, against them on June 6, and have decided to stay away from courts on Tuesday also.
The boycott on Tuesday is to register their protest against the attack on an office-bearer of the Egmore Bar Association allegedly by the MKB Nagar police here on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the First Bench comprising the Acting Chief Justice R.K.Agrawal and Justice M.Sathyanarayanan on Monday ordered notice on a petition by the Tamil Nadu Advocates’ Association (TNAA) praying for a direction to the Chief Secretary, to take action against Mr.Ramanujam. The notice would be returnable by two weeks.
In the petition, the TNAA secretary, M. Baskar, said that nearly 20 advocates from Karur had stayed in a hotel at Kanyakumari from 1 a.m. on May 10. At the time of booking the rooms, the hotel authorities informed them that the check-out time was 24 hours; but around noon they were informed that the check-out time was noon. They questioned this and requested the hotel authorities to call the police. They alleged that a group of persons attacked them.
They filed a complaint with the police, but no action was taken. Instead, a “false complaint” was received from the hotel and a case was registered against them. Mr. Baskar said it was in this connection that leaders of various advocates associations wanted to meet the DGP, but they were abused by the top police officer. He did not meet them.
As regards the MKB Nagar incident, lawyers said trouble started when A. Michael, president of the Egmore Bar Association (EBA), requested the MKB Nagar police Inspector to drop a case against the relative of another lawyer as the parties had come to a compromise. When the police refused, there was an altercation and the police assaulted Mr. Michael.
Strongly criticising the attack, members of the EBA boycotted the courts on Monday. They staged a road roko and a sit-in protest demanding action against the police personnel concerned.
The secretary, EBA, R.Raghavel, said a case should be registered against the Inspector and other police officials for assaulting Mr. Michael.
