Janata Party president Dr Subramanian Swamy was assaulted by a group of advocates in Madras High Court, in the presence of judges of a Division Bench on February 17.
Around 11.45 a.m., the advocates entered Court Hall No. 3 and shouted slogans in support of Sri Lankan Tamils. They assaulted Dr Swamy and the police constables standing behind him.
A policeman, who was in the visitors? gallery, was also assaulted. Some miscreants threw rotten eggs. They abused Dr Swamy and shouted anti-Brahmin slogans. They also raised abusive slogans.
The unruly behaviour continued for nearly 15 minutes despite warnings from the judges.
Dr Swamy had come to the court of Justices PK Misra and K Chandru to make a ?mention? that he would like to implead himself in appeals against a single-judge order dismissing a petition filed by ?Podhu Dikshitars? of the Sabanayagar (Lord Nataraja) Temple at Chidambaram.
Bench records attack on Swamy
Report to be sent to Acting Chief Justice of High Court, CJI
After the attack on Dr Swamy the Division Bench of Justices PK Misra and K Chandru recorded the incident in a report to be sent to the Acting Chief Justice of the court for appropriate action.
The Bench also directed that a copy of the report be forwarded to the Chief Justice of India
Dr Swamy went near the Judges? rostrum and made a request that his security be allowed to come inside the hall, to which the Judges agreed.
Dr Swamy mentioned that he wanted to implead himself in the Chidambaram temple appeal case. In view of the circumstances, counsel for the appellant and Dr Swamy prayed for an adjournment, as they felt it was unsafe to argue the matter. Accordingly, the writ appeals were adjourned to February 19.
After the court proceedings, Dr Swamy said the incident showed that there was total breakdown of law and order in the State. He would seek the Centre'sintervention in the matter.
Chennai Commissioner of Police K Radhakrishnan said there was advance information that ?something could go wrong? during Dr Swamy'svisit to the court.
?About 50 police personnel, led by a Joint Commissioner of Police, were deployed on the court premises. The advocates broke the police cordon and barged into the court hall. Eggs were hurled at the police officers who tried to intervene. Assistant Commissioner of Police Khader Mohideen was dragged out by the advocates,? Shri Radhakrishnan said.
When the situation went out of control, the police pushed the advocates out of the court hall.
?We had to maintain the decorum of the court. Had the police not acted in time, there could have been a major attack. There was no compromise on the security front and Dr Swamy was given protection more than the prescribed standards,? he said.
No complaint was received in connection with the incident till late evening, he added.
Dr Swamy enjoys ?Z-Plus? security, comprising the Central Reserve Police Force.
The police may write to the Registrar General of the Madras High Court, seeking permission to take cognizance of the incident, sources in the police said.
(FOC)
