BANGALORE: After coming under criticism from all sections of society for staging a rasta roko which brought the city to a grinding halt for seven hours on Tuesday over what was termed as a trivial issue, the advocates boycotted court proceedings and took out a march in protest from the City Civil Court and Raj Bhavan on Thursday to air their grievances to Governor HR Bhardwaj.Without taking any chances, the police had made elaborate security arrangements and were fully geared up to face any eventuality in the wake of wide criticism for their inept handling of the situation on Tuesday. A large posse of police personnel was deployed all along the procession route. Thanks to tight police security, the public were not inconvenienced.The advocates, who had planned to march till Raj Bhavan to submit a memorandum to Governor, were stopped by the police at Chalukya Circle near R C College of Commerce. Only a few representatives of the Bangalore Advocates’ Association were allowed to meet the Governor at around 12:45 pm. In the memorandum, the advocates sought action against the police personnel who allegedly assaulted advocate Balakrishna on last Saturday.In the meantime, a group of lawyers shouted slogans against the police and displayed holding placards condemning ‘the goondaism of police’. The advocates again targeted the electronic media persons who were near the spot to cover the event.They abused the media persons and threw stones at them. An angry agitator took strong exception to the coverage in the electronic media and terming the advocates as ‘goondas’.The police intervened and gave protection to the media persons. The police also dispersed students who had gathered near the spot to witness the procession fearing law and order problem.According to sources, the advocates’ meeting with the Governor lasted for only 25 minutes. Later, they said he promised to take action.No Big Effect ON High Court ProceedingsAdvocates abstained from court proceedings in the city and across the State on Thursday following a call given by Bangalore Bar Association to seek action against the police personnel allegedly involved in the assault of an advocate on last Saturday. However, the proceedings in most of the courts were not affected as some advocates offered skeletal services to litigants.In the High Court, a group of advocates approached Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen and told him that they were abstaining from the proceedings to protest against an incident in which an advocate was brutally assaulted by the police. Justice Sen positively responded to their appeal. However, the proceedings went on smooth in other court halls as no similar appeals were made to judges there.At a hall, one of the counsels for the respondents was present but the counsel for the petitioners was absent. Justice Venugopal Gowda appreciated the former and said, “You have respect for court proceedings. So you have come, I appreciate you attended the proceedings,” he stated.
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