The CBI, which probed the March 2, 2012, clash between advocates and journalists in the city civil court premises, has said that the incident occurred after the advocates objected to the presence of media at the Civil Court premises in the City.
In almost all the charge sheets, filed against mediapersons and the police, the investigating officers have said that the clash began as a retaliatory measure after the advocates abused and manhandled some of the mediapersons, when G Janardhana Reddy, the former minister who was arrested by the CBI in connection with illegal mining case, was produced before the court.
In a charge sheet against police officer P S Gacchinakatti and others, the CBI says that when Reddy was produced before the court, the advocates objected to the presence of the media on the court premises.
“Reddy was brought to the court premises. As he was getting down from the vehicle, media personnel started taking photos/videos. Advocates started throwing stones towards the media persons. The skirmishes continued between the advocates and mediapersons. There were incidents of manhandling of mediapersons by advocates.
Mediapersons retreated beyond the barricades and retaliated by throwing stones. Soon the stone-throwing by advocates was directed towards the police. The police too retaliated by throwing stones,” the charge sheet says.
The charge sheet says that the clashes broke out between the media and advocates after Reddy was taken out of the court premises.
“The advocates started abusing the media personnel. When the police intervened, the advocates started abusing the policemen too. The fight between the advocates and the media personnel, which started in front of the CBI court, then extended to the main entrance. As the situation was worsening, additional police force was called,” the charge sheet says.
In the charge sheet against Madhu Naik and other media personnel, the CBI says that the March 2, 2012, incident was actually the result of growing animosity between mediapersons and advocates.
“The relationship between the advocates and media persons have not been smooth and there has been growing animosity between the advocates and mediapersons,” the charge sheet says.
Citing an incident on January 17, 2012, where advocates staged a dharna at Mysore Bank Circle demanding suspension of policemen responsible for the arrest of an advocate, the charge sheet mentions about the way the media projected the advocates, who caused inconvenience to public through their protest. There is mention of a few more incidents which worsened the relationship between the media and the advocates.
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