B'luru: Lawyers-media-police confrontation worsens

The advocates-media-police confrontation in Bengaluru in the wake of the city civil court complex violence on March 2 worsened on Thursday with police deciding to stage a black badge protest on Friday seeking action against lawyers who assaulted their personnel.

In another development, the Karnataka high court ordered issue of notices to Union government, Information and Broadcasting Ministry, the state government, print and electronic media on PILs praying for a direction to the media to telecast visuals that show attack on lawyers.

Facing pressure from advocates, government appointed DGP (CID) Roopak Kumar Dutta to probe the police role in the incidents and asked him to submit his report in a month.

Agitated over efforts by advocates in slapping "false cases" against them, police, in an unusual action, announced a black badge protest.

This is the first time the men in khaki are protesting against lawyers, who have accused them of assaulting advocates during the mayhem which saw mediapersons and police personnel being attacked, leaving scores of people injured.

At least 54 police personnel were injured in the stone pelting by some advocates, according to police.

Earlier, family members of police personnel held a demonstration in front of a Mahatma Gandhi statue demanding stringent action against advocates who attacked police and mediapersons.

Meanwhile, Bengaluru police, as a precautionary measure, extended prohibitory orders, imposed since March 3 in and around the city civil court complex, till March 18 as advocates from across the state had announced a march here on Friday urging action against police and mediapersons.

Functioning of civil courts is crippled since March 3 due to the indefinite boycott by advocates, despite warning from high court Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen against it.

Efforts by government to bring about reconciliation between advocates and journalists have failed.

The high court's order to issue notices came on two PILs filed by Advocates Association of Bangalore and an advocate seeking a direction to the print and the electronic media to telecast or publish the clippings and videos showing the assault on lawyers as they alleged that media had shown only "one-sided" version.