Two cases registered over scuffle between lawyer, VCK supporters outside MHC
According to the police, the altercation took place while Thirumavalavan’s convoy was passing in front of the HC complex. The car brushed against Rajiv’s two-wheeler.
Thol Thirumavalavan
CHENNAI: The city police have registered two separate FIRs in connection with a clash between Rajiv Gandhi, a lawyer, and a group of men accompanying Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president Thol Thirumavalavan outside the Madras High Court on October 7.
The incident occurred after Thirumavalavan’s car reportedly collided with Rajiv’s two-wheeler on NSC Bose Road.
According to the police, the altercation took place while Thirumavalavan’s convoy was passing in front of the HC complex. The car brushed against Rajiv’s two-wheeler, leading to an argument between him and VCK members.
Soon, a video surfaced showing the lawyer being assaulted by a group of men, triggering outrage among sections of the legal community. The situation escalated further after a TV journalist aired the footage on a news channel, which was reportedly bombarded with abuse on social media.
Based on a complaint filed by lawyer Parivendan, police registered a case against Rajiv Gandhi under Sections 126 (2) (wrongful restraint), 351 (2) (criminal intimidation), and 352 (intimidation with intent to breach the peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). In a counter-complaint that Rajiv filed, police registered another case under two sections of the BNS, for causing hurt and using obscene language, against unidentified individuals who attacked him during the incident.
Following this incident, CPM state secretary P Shanmugam on Friday expressed concern over caste-based divisions among lawyers in Tamil Nadu. In a statement, he stated: “Lawyers should remain united in resisting the attacks of Hindutva forces on the judiciary that threaten the Constitution. Developments undermining the unity of the legal fraternity must be avoided at all costs. Behaviour of the lawyer involved in the incident and the subsequent attack on another lawyer inside the Bar Council office were completely unacceptable.”
The CPM has appealed to lawyers to refrain from holding further demonstrations over the issue and to focus on safeguarding their unity.