Lawyers-Police clash case: HC stays proceedings in lower court

The Madras High Court Tuesday stayed further proceedings in the case relating to the February 2009 clash between lawyers and police here, pending before a lower court.

Justice AD Jagdish Chandira stayed the proceedings in the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court for CBI cases, on a petition by 31 advocates, who were summoned recently by the trial court to appear before it and receive the copies of the interim charge sheet filed by the investigating agency.

The judge also issued notice to CBI and adjourned the matter for a period of four weeks. The aggrieved advocates sought to quash the interim final report filed by the CBI in the lower court.

The petitioners alleged that though the high court has directed the CBI to probe the allegations against both the police and advocates, the central agency has filed charge sheet only against lawyers and the probe against police was still pending.

They termed the CBI probe as "tainted, biased, shabby and highly unsatisfactory." On February 19, 2009 clashes broke out between police and a section of lawyers in the high court premises here. The clashes left many people, including advocates and policemen injured.