: An advocate was murdered right outside the Egmore Metropolitan Magistrate Court complex early on Saturday after victory celebrations following the Bar Council election turned violent. A clash between supporters of the winning and defeated candidates became serious when knives and stones were used. Two persons including a woman have been arrested so far.
Sources with the Egmore police identified the deceased as Stalin Karmen (38), a practising lawyer in Egmore and resident of Shastri Nagar Second Street in Kilpauk, who was among the jubilant supporters of advocate S. Chandan Babu.
Mr.Chandan Babu won the election of president of the Bar Council in the Egmore court, garnering 386 votes while his competitor Michael lost by a margin of 20 votes. The results were announced after midnight when ecstatic supporters of Mr.Chandan Babu started celebrating the victory outside the court complex.
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Mr. Michael and his supports who witnessed the jubilation in the court complex were enraged.
War zone
“Michael and group started hurling stones at their rivals and a violent clash ensued among the lawyers and their aides. Then they rounded up some persons, but unfortunately Stalin collapsed after a brick hit the back of his head. The enraged group attacked him again and left him bleeding,” said an investigating officer.
A police party, which dispersed the groups, rushed Stalin to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital where he died shortly.
The Egmore court complex resembled a war zone with a few parked cars and other vehicles badly damaged. A posse of police personnel was posted in the court complex.
Two arrested
The Egmore police, who registered a case of murder following the incident, arrested Lokeswari alias Eswari (28) of Pulianthope, a law graduate claiming to be a practising lawyer, and Muniyandi (35) of Vyasarpadi, a history-sheeter.
A hunt is on for other 28 assailants including prime suspect Michael, sources added.
The body of Stalin was handed over to his relatives on Saturday afternoon following a post-mortem examination. He is survived by wife Elizabeth and two children.
Victory celebrations following the Bar Council election turned violent