‘Lawyerlessness’ to continue in TN

Advocates of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have decided to continue their agitation till March 4 though retired Supreme Court judge justice B Srikrishna, who is inquiring into the February 19 incident, requested them to call off the strike.

Srikrishna finished his preliminary probe after visiting the Madras high court on Saturday and left for New Delhi.  “Srikrishna met acting chief justice SK Mukhopadyaya, advocate general G Masilamani and senior advocates on Sunday. We expect him to submit his recommendations to the court before the March 3 hearing to end the impasse at Madras high court. As he could not meet all the lawyers personally, he has asked them to submit their written statements to the commission’s office,” sources said. 

Madras high court advocates’ association secretary Velmurugan said: “Assurances aren’t sufficient for us. We need the Tamil Nadu government to take stringent action against senior police officers for the atrocities committed by police. We hope to get some relief from the Supreme Court, which is hearing cases related to the incident on March 3,”

Office-bearers of the association will leave for New Delhi on Monday along with officers-bearers of other bar and advocates associations for the hearing. “Our next course of action will depend on the March 3  hearing. We will meet again on March 4. Till then our colleagues will continue the agitation,” he added. 

The federation of district and subordinate courts bar associations of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry also continued its support for the lawyers by abstaining from work. “The government must punish the senior police officers responsible for the assault,” the federation president said.