Advocate who took on IPS officer arrested over court clash in Bengaluru

A group of advocates had clashed on the city civil court premises on February 11. Credit: DH Photo

Advocate Jagadesh K N Mahadev, who represented the woman in the sex-for-job scam involving former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi and took on an IPS officer, has been arrested for assaulting a fellow advocate during the commotion on the city civil court premises last week.

Halasuru Gate police said Mahadev was arrested from his house located in Kodigehalli and later presented before the court which remanded him in 14 days’ judicial custody. He has been booked under IPC sections 153A (promoting enmity between groups), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 143 and 149 (both relate to unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 307 (attempted murder) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt).

The arrest came after one G Narayanaswamy filed a complaint against Mahadev about the incidents of February 10 and 11, a senior officer said.

In the complaint, Narayanaswamy said Mahadev and a few others, including Prashanti Subhash and Sharat Khadri, had been “abusing” other advocates on social media.

“They were requested not to make such comments but Mahadev and others started targeting me. On February 10, they created a commotion on the court premises and threatened me. On February 11, Mahadev and 50 others entered the court premises and disturbed the peace. They held me by the neck and kicked me. Some other advocates were also threatened. Threat calls from 300 people have been received,” the complaint stated.

Police said that the assault took place when Mahadev had gone to the court to file objections in a defamation case filed against him by IPS officer Ravi Channannavar. “We are looking into video footage of the incident. The office-bearers of the Advocates’ Association Bangalore have filed a complaint with the police commissioner,” the officer quoted above said.

An associate of Mahadev’s, however, claimed that the lawyer’s teenage son and others were assaulted during the commotion. An FIR was registered but police have not taken any action against the culprits, he claimed.

“Mahadev has been fighting against a corrupt IPS officer. Police are under pressure from the higher-ups,” the associate said.

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