Court boycott call falls flat

The call by the Advocate Association Bangalore (AAB) to boycott the court of the Chief Justice for his alleged failure to initiate proper action on the March 2 ‘police atrocity’ at the City Civil Court complex, evoked lukewarm response on Tuesday with several advocates attending the proceedings.

Several members of the Association had gathered along the path leading to court hall-1 (Chief Justice’ court) and intercepted advocates proceeding to the court hall. While some yielded to pressure, some others entered the hall leaving the protestors red faced. However the litigant public and mediapersons did not face much problem entering the court hall.

When the proceedings started, several senior counsels including former Advocates General and senior counsels Udaya Holla and B V Acharya, Advocate General Vijay Shankar and other senior advocates, Jayakumar Patil, Madhusudan R Naik, Nanjunda Reddy, Additional Advocate general K M Natraj and others appeared before the court to express their support to the Chief Justice.

Thanking the advocates for their support, the Chief Justice conducted the proceedings. However some of the matters were adjourned following non-appearance of the advocates.

As a precautionary measure, the security was stepped up at the court of the Chief Justice with several senior police officers themselves personally stationed inside and outside the hall. There were heated arguments when the agitators tried to prevent some advocates from entering the court hall.

  Two lady advocates who appeared before the court complained to the Chief Justice of protestors being rude to them.

However the protestors left the spot after they realised that the proceedings was over. The other court halls witnessed a full strength and functioned normally.