Dinakaran case fallout: Lawyers shut down Karnataka HC - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Chaos broke out inside the Karnataka High Court today as some 14,000 lawyers demanding the ouster of tainted judge Dinakaran, refused to let the litigants come before the judge. Resorting to violence, the lawyers shut down all courtrooms and threatened to lock the judges inside. They wanted Dinakaran, the chief judge at the Karnataka High Court who is accused at amassing wealth, including grabbing land, to be removed immediately and to leave the courthouse. Defying an order of the High Court, the lawyers abstained from court proceedings in response to a call given by the Advocates Association Bangalore (AAB) in consonance with a resolution it passed last week to protest Dinakaran's continuance. The resolution said the lawyers wanted to "uphold the dignity and integrity of the judiciary." Dinkaran, who was hearing cases, suspended the proceedings and later left the court hall after a section of advocates, resorted to slogans shouting against him. The matter took a turn for the worse after two judges reportedly locked themselves in and refused to exit courthouse No 2, resulting in angry lawyers breaking open the backdoor of the courtroom and trying to forcefully evict the judges. The latter were finally rescued by some of their colleagues. Several media persons present inside the courthouse were also caught in the fracas and became the unwitting targets. Several reporters were manhandled and one photojournalist was allegedly beaten up by the angry mob with chairs. The lawyers allegedly assaulted the journalists, as they were reluctant to have the press cover the violence unleashed in the agitation. After the incident press reporters staged their own dharna outside the High Court demanding action against the lawyers. Shortly afterwards the State law minister arrived at the High Court and confronted the agitation of the journalists. "I have come to know of this incident just now, I have yet to know the details. If it has happened - journalists are just doing their duty, and if advocates have assaulted them I feel sorry and advocates should clear the situation. I will talk to the Bar association," said the law minister.