No lessons learnt, say advocates

MADURAI: The attempt to murder incident inside the Vellore District Combined Court Complex on Tuesday has sent shock waves among the legal fraternity. Advocates here recalled how a gang murdered a person in the presence of a judge at the Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Egmore some time ago and managed to get acquitted.  In 1996, around 50 rowdies came on bikes wearing helmets and hurled country bombs inside the Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Egmore when court proceedings were on. When the public ran for life, the gang entered the court hall and hacked Viji alais Vijyakumar in front of magistrate Devadoss. But, all assailants were acquitted.There had been many instances of violence inside the court complex in the past.  In the same MM court, advocate Rajinikanth, son-in-law of former Perambur MLA Sengai Sivam (DMK), was hacked to death by a five-member gang on February 22, 2008. “All these incidents only show the failure of the judicial system and intelligence on the part of the police,” said K Elangovan, an advocate practising at the Madras HC.After the bomb blast at the Delhi HC, CCTV cameras were installed on the Madras HC premises and special security arrangements were made based on a PIL.  “Though security was beefed up at the HC after the PIL, cops don’t carry out a proper check of vehicles entering the premises,” complained Edwin, a HC advocate.“Even at the Madurai Bench no proper security system is in place. Anybody dressed like an advocate can easily walk inside,” said Robert Chandra Kumar a lawyer at the Bench.