Madras HC asks advocates to return to work

Rejecting pleas by the agitating advocates to immediately hear their petition regarding alleged police excesses in the court premises on February 19, the Madras high court has asked them to return to work.

When senior lawyers T V Ramanujum and R Krishnamurthy on Wednesday pleaded before a bench comprising Chief Justice H L Gokhale and Justice F M Ibrahim Kallifulla that the matter be taken up immediately, they were told their petition was being heard by a three-judge bench headed by Justice S J Mukhopadhaya.

"When a bench is seized of the matter it is not proper for it to be withdrawn from that bench," Justice Gokhale said.

The advocates then argued that Justice Mukhopadhaya was indisposed. The chief justice replied that Justice Mukhopadhaya could come to the court any day, adding it was not the first time that a judge was unwell and the matter could wait.

Advocates have been boycotting work ever since February 19 when they clashed with police within the high court premises after 13 lawyers were arrested in connection with the attack on Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy in the court on February 17.