The lawyers boycotted the Villupuram courts and staged a road roko here on Tuesday. They voiced their protest against the arrest of two of their fellow advocates at Mailam on Monday.
They urged the authorities to withdraw the cases filed against the advocates and take appropriate action against the policemen who ill-treated the advocates.
In what looked like a clash between two groups of people over personal enmity, at Edaiyapattu, the Mailam police limits turned into a tussle between the advocates and the police. R. Elumalai and Sivasankar came to blows over certain unspecified issues, following which the former lodged a complaint.
In this connection the police arrested three persons belonging to the Sivasankar group, and took Elumalai, his father Ramadass and brother Saravanan to the police station for enquiries. On information two advocates namely Ezhilarasan (25) and Sugumaran (26), supporters of Elumalai, went to the police station and argued as to why complainants should be brought to the station.
When tempers ran high the advocates allegedly beat up Sub-Inspector Akilan that led to the arrest of the advocates. On information 30 other advocates gathered in front of the police station and voiced their strong protest against the “high handedness of the police.”
On the intervention of Additional Superintendent of Police Pandiarajan and Deputy Superintendent of Police Silambarasan peace was restored. But when the advocates were taken to the Tindivanam magistrate court a group of advocates gathered there and demanded their release.
As the situation turned volatile, the police took the two advocates to the residence of Judicial Magistrate Saritha who ordered their release on executing personal bonds. The incident stirred the advocate community to resort to agitation.
