Was Friday's violence involving lawyers, police and journalists in the City Civil Court complex an expected sequel to that witnessed near Mysore Bank Circle on January 17?
Hundreds of lawyers had poured into the busy K.G. Road that day, protesting against the perceived shabby treatment of one of their colleagues by the police a couple of days earlier. Their road blockade triggered a seven-hour gridlock in the central business district, inconveniencing lakhs of commuters.
The ensuing negative media coverage of both the lawyers and the police for taking the public for granted incensed lawyers. Subsequently, there were alleged instances of media personnel being heckled by lawyers on the City Courts premises.
A number of police officials as well as journalists categorically say Friday's violence was a consequence of the January 17 events that had arraigned the lawyers against the police as well as the media.
Ministry warned
A senior intelligence official told The Hindu that violence had been anticipated on Friday. “The Home Ministry had also been informed and recommendations made to deploy police personnel in strength,” the official said, insisting there was no intelligence failure.
Lakshman Hoogar, a veteran journalist with a Kannada television channel, said the lawyers had clearly warned the media they would be “taught a lesson when they enter their turf” for projecting them in a bad light during the January protest. “Though we anticipated trouble, we did not expect violence of this proportion,” he added.
