JOIN USLawyers boycott courts in Hassan, Mysuru; on indefinite stir
The members of the bar associations of Hassan, Channarayapatna and Mysuru on Wednesday boycotted the court proceedings, demanding the transfer of Principal District and Sessions Judge R J Satish Singh over the latter’s decision to stay a lower court’s order remanding Circle Inspector Marappa in judicial custody Advocates of Channarayapatna, who were witness to the high drama on the court premises on Tuesday night, raised slogans against the judge and the police, alleging dereliction of duty by the District Judge R J Satish Singh.
The lawyers claimed that the court proceedings were over by 5.30 pm at Channarayapatna on Tuesday. “If a stay order had to be issued, the person had to submit an application before 4 pm, at the Fourth Additional Court at Channarayapatna. But, violating all norms, the district judge had stayed the lower court’s order remanding the CPI in judicial custody,” they alleged.
Displaying a copy of the stay order, the lawyers said, they learnt about it only on Wednesday morning. They explained that the district judge had arrived on the court premises around 10.30 pm on Tuesday and had assured the lawyers that Marappa would be handed over to judicial custody. SP Rahul Kumar is also involved in the act of shielding the suspect, they alleged.
The lawyers said, they would approach the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court in Bengaluru and submit a memorandum, seeking a probe into the misuse of power and dereliction of duty by the district judge. We will also lodge a complaint with the Law Minister, the Administrative Judge and State Bar Council, they said.
High drama
It may be mentioned that high drama was witnessed at the court in Channarayapatna, on Tuesday, when Chikkanayaka- nahalli Police Inspector Marappa, who had earlier served at Channarayapatna, had appeared as witness in connection with a few criminal cases, registered during his tenure.
As Marappa had repeatedly failed to appear before the court, JMFC Court Judge M S Shashikala had directed that Marappa, who appeared before the court on Tuesday, be handed over in judicial custody. Upset over the sudden development, Marappa left the court and was joined by other police personnel in support of him. They even parked the police jeep across the gate, making it impossible for the judge to leave the premises. After this, Judge Shashikala summoned Marappa again and ordered that he be remanded in judicial custody.
The advocates staged a flash protest against the police personnel for disrespecting the court order.
Later, Hassan District Judge and the SP arrived on the spot and convinced the advocates that Marappa had been handed over to judicial custody.
Advocates leave for B’luru
Demanding transfer of District Principal and Sessions Judge R J Satish Singh, who had issued a stay order to the lower court’s order remanding Circle Inspector Marappa in judicial custody, advocates from Hassan and Channarayapatna left for Bengaluru, in three buses, from Hassan, to lodge a complaint with Law Minister T B Jayachandra, administrative judge and Karnataka Bar Council.