Hubballi sedition case: High drama at Dharwad court

High drama was witnessed on the District Court premises on Monday as the members of Dharwad Bar Association staged an intensified protest for more than two hours after two advocates from Bengaluru appeared before the court to move the bail plea for three engineering students, who were charged with sedition for raising pro-Pakistan slogans.

Principal District & Sessions Judge Eshappa Bhute, however, did not admit the bail application, citing procedural lapses.

The local advocates raising objection to the bail plea said that the advocates representing the accused had not followed the court procedure while moving the bail plea and hence, the court should not entertain the
application.

Upholding the objection, the judge asked advocates Maitri and Narendra to file the application with documents at the office according to the procedure. Following the court’s direction, advocates left the court amid tight police security.

As the car ferrying advocates was about to leave the court premises, a few people pelted stones at the car. The police rushed to the spot and controlled the situation.

Earlier in the day, the advocates, representing the engineering students, were ferried to the court complex amid tight security following the High Court’s order. The High Court had asked the Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner R Dileep to provide fool-proof security for the advocates. This decision followed after the members of the Hubballi Bar Association resolved not to represent the accused students in the court.

Over 300 policemen were deployed in and around the court complex. The Dharwad Bar Association members raising pro-India slogans asked the visiting advocates not to plead for anti-nationals. As a precautionary measure, the police did not allow the local advocates to enter the court hall. The visiting advocates were whisked away to an unknown place by the police.

Meanwhile, the members of Hubballi Bar Association, wearing a black arm band, staged a protest, outside the Hubballi court complex, against the police for providing protection to the advocates representing Kashmiri students charged with sedition. The agitating advocates demanded suspension of the Hubballi-Dharwad police commissioner.