The Hindu : New Delhi News : Lawyers’ arrest: AIBA seeks CJI’s intervention

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Tuesday, Mar 25, 2008
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Lawyers’ arrest: AIBA seeks CJI’s intervention

J. Venkatesan

New Delhi: The All India Bar Association (AIBA) has sought the intervention of Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan in the ongoing agitation by members of various Bar associations in Tamil Nadu, protesting against the arrest of many lawyers in Kanyakumari district.

In a memorandum sent to the CJI on Monday, AIBA Chairman Adish Aggarwala and Vice-Chairman S. Prabhakaran said on February 6, when the officials of the State Public Works Department were demolishing a local temple at Thiruvattar in Kanyakumari district, A. Russel Raj, an advocate from Nagercoil, requested them not to proceed with the demolition since a case was pending in the court.

Irked by his intervention, the police assaulted Mr. Raj, removed his dress and detained him in lock-up.

False case

Later, a false case was registered against him and he was remanded to judicial custody. To condemn this high-handed action of the police, members of the Bar had been staging various forms of protest, including demonstrations and abstaining from court proceedings for the last six weeks.

The memorandum said the situation became worse in the last two days when the police arrested over 10 advocates in connection with an alleged incident involving the District Judge, Nagercoil.

It alleged that the police were harassing the family members of the arrested lawyers and this had sent shockwaves among the legal fraternity in the State.

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