The violence broke out after lawyers protested against the arrest of one of their colleague involved in attacking Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy. Swamy was attacked by a group of lawyers with eggs on Monday inside the Madras High Court complex.
SHOOT-AT-SIGHT orders have been issued in the southern state of Tamil Nadu against arsonists indulging in violence and damaging public property. The government has also deployed massive security cordon around the Madras High Court complex, which has been the scene of violent clashes between lawyers and police.
Chennai police said that few lawyers wanted to stay inside the High Court complex to protest against the police action taken against some of the lawyers on Thursday (February 19). But the lawyers were asked by the police to leave the court premises on public address system and many of them left after the warning.
The government was forced to issue shoot-at-sight order after violence did not abate even after two days of persistent clashes between police and the lawyers. Officers of the rank of district superintendent of police have been empowered to carry out the orders.
Police said strict action would be taken against anti-social elements involved in damaging public property. Security, meanwhile, has been beefed up in the entire state after clashes broke out between lawyers and police.
The violence broke out after lawyers protested against the arrest of one of their colleague involved in attacking Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy. Swamy was attacked by a group of lawyers with eggs on Monday inside the Madras High court complex.
.Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer's statement
THE BLACK ROBES BLEEDINGLY BARBARISED BY KHAKI UNIFORM WITH BATON JUSTICE INSIDE HALLOWED HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE��THE HAVOC IN THE HIGH COURT OF MADRAS on 19th February 2009
At First the lawyers were to blame for assaulting Dr. Subramaniam Swamy. Then the police came berserk and in rapid excess of violence. I just received a long communication from Chennai about the horrendous terror and horror where the uniformed police force turned barbarian and beat up every black robed lawyer they came across and in the rumpus and riotous situation. A few robed brethren administering justice were also victims of lathy generosity. Around 150 lawyers have stated to have been hospitalized with injuries. As the police station incendiarised inside the court premises with riot police everywhere and justices seeking refuge inside the Chief Justice��s Chambers. This is a scenery the like of which no eye had seen, no heart conceived, no human tongue can adequately tell. The police managed the press and put out a version making the lawyers the villain. Poisonous when pitted against the police the lawyer��s version went by default and even the judges proved powerless. The highest institution of justice in the State stands scandalize and stultified and the forensic process was panalised with the Constitution made a paper tiger. The judges with their rich power cipherized and the administration of justice in the State humiliated by police raj with none to police the police. This grave collapse of the rule of law is a national catastrophe of people��s sovereignty. What we need now is not orders and lectures, articles and arguments but withdraw the police, the last of them from the High Court premises and the compound, suspend the Commissioner of Police and the DGP or else all the judges of the Court en-mass resign until the judiciary is restored to its power and dignity and the High Court truly hallowed and absolute peace restored. A high-powered Commission with full power of investigation shall come into existence in a week��s time with full power to recommend transitory transfers and interim punitive orders with natural justice observed. An emergency in Chennai shall at once be promulgated with the plenary power of the State administration vested in a group of the senior most high judges of the supreme Court��an extraordinary measure which the Central Cabinet must immediately act otherwise the cause of justice which is fundamental to fundamental rights is made a cadaver and Indian Independence annihilated internally by a Khaki domination a law unto itself. This shall not be. When the nation is in crisis political difference is allergic unless the President acts now. Swaraj becomes mirage and democracy a simulacrum of independence.