Tension prevailed in the Nagercoil court premises on Monday as a section of lawyers and members of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) attacked each other when the party leader, Vijayakant, entered the District Sessions Court to appear before Judge Chinna Raj in connection with a defamation case filed against him by Public Prosecutor and sympathiser of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam (AIADMK) A. Gnanasekar.
According to sources, Mr. Vijayakant, addressing a public meeting at Nagaraja Thidal here on October 14, 2012, allegedly used some unparliamentary words against Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.
The Public Prosecutor filed a defamation suit against the DMDK leader in the District Sessions Court, based on which the court issued summons to Mr. Vijayakant to appear before the Judge on June 4. However, Mr. Vijayakant failed to appear before the judge, citing the need for him to attend the Assembly session as reason.
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But through a petition filed with the Assembly Secretary under the Right to Information Act, Mr. Gnanasekar came to know that the actor-turned-politician did not attend the Assembly session that date. This was informed to the court. The Judge then directed Mr. Vijayakant to appear before him on July 1 without fail.
Mr. Vijayakant was supposed to appear before the Judge at 10.30 am. But he came to the court around 11.30 a.m. When Mr. Vijayakant entered the court hall without the call of the court, several DMDK cadres too entered the hall along with him.
The Public Prosecutor, who was examining a witness in a murder case, told the Judge that he was disturbed by the noise at the court hall.
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Angered by this, the DMDK cadre attacked him in the presence of the judge, Mr. Gnanasekar told The Hindu . The attack was preplanned, he added. “My spectacles were broken and my robe was torn by the DMDK men who had come to the court in the guise of advocates. The behaviour of Mr. Vijayakant and his supporters in the court hall was tantamount to an affront to judiciary,” Mr. Gnanasekar noted.
The DMDK leader left the court after signing the register. On seeing the commotion, the police tried to enter the court premises, but the lawyers objected the move and asked them to vacate the premises.
Meanwhile, a group of advocates detained their colleague Jeganathan, who appeared for the DMDK leader. He was released after the intervention of some senior advocates. Gnanasekar lodged a complaint with the Kottar police in this regard. Based on the complaint, the police filed a case against Vijayakant and five others under six sections of the Indian Penal Code.