Tension prevailed on the premises of the Kerala High Court on Wednesday as a section of lawyers attacked mediamen over reports on the arrest of a Government pleader on July 14 allegedly for molesting a young woman in public. Wednesday’s events at the premises of the court and outside it were a sequel to the attack on some journalists near the media room of the court after reports on the incident involving the pleader appeared in the media.
On Wednesday, a group of lawyers blocked some woman journalists at the media room of the court and showered abuses on them and locked the room after expelling from there. A group of journalists reached the High Court after learning about the development and held a protest sit-in near the court. The lawyers’ group attacked them also.
The problems were created by a group of lawyers who were enraged by the news reports that appeared in the media about the complaint the victim of the molestation lodged with the police and her statements given to the police. Tension had started on Tuesday after these lawyers attacked two journalists at the media room of the court.
Though a case was registered against the pleader on the basis of a complaint the woman had lodged with the police, some lawyers alleged that he was trapped in a bogus case. There were moments when the tension seemed to be slipping into a law and order problem as some lawyers seemed determined not to allow journalists to enter the court premises.
Though several judges had reportedly tried to calm down the angry lawyers their attempts did not succeed and police personnel in large numbers had to be deployed in the area. Journalists held a protest march raising slogans demanding creation of an atmosphere conducive for reporting court proceedings freely and fearlessly.
Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said the developments at the HC premises were unfortunate and that he had spoken to Acting Chief Justice Thottathil B Radhakrishnan who, he said, promised to intervene in the matter.
Several lawyers expressed concern over the development. lawyer A Jayasankar said that strict instructions had been given to the members of the lawyers’ union of which he was an office-bearer not to take part in the incidents. “The court is a place where disputes are settled legally. Its premises shouldn’t have become venue for such developments,” said another lawyer.