Lawyers boycott work over Bellary, Koppal bench

Even as there are indications that the high court circuit benches in Dharwad and Gulbarga would be made permanent, the advocates in Dharwad, known for resorting to agitation at the slightest provocation, were back in the act on Wednesday. They boycotted the proceedings at the high court circuit bench and also in district court in support of their brethren in Bellary and Koppal.

The lawyers in Bellary and Koppal are opposing the proposal to include the two districts under the purview of the high court circuit bench in Gulbarga and want to be under the jurisdiction of circuit bench in Dharwad. Meanwhile, it is learnt that chief justice of Karnataka High Court justice P D Dinakaran has favoured converting the two circuit benches into permanent benches.

Protesting the move to shift Bellary and Koppal districts out of Dharwad bench, the advocates from the high court came out of the court premises boycotting the proceedings. Similarly, the lawyers in the district sessions and civil courts boycotted the courts and staged a rasta rook for a while.

When the decision to establish the circuit benches in Dharwad and Gulbarga was taken, it was also discussed in the full bench of high court on June 3, 2008, and decided that cases pertaining to Dharwad, Belgaum, Haveri, Gadag, Uttara Kannada, Bagalkot, Bellary and Koppal districts would be transferred to Dharwad bench and all fresh cases, except public interest litigations (PIL) and company-related cases from these districts would be filed and decided in Dharwad.

Cases pertaining to Bijapur, Bidar, Gulbarga and Raichur were included under the purview of Gulbarga bench. A notification to this effect had been issued on June 4, 2008.

Trouble started when a delegation of advocates practicing in Gulbarga circuit bench asked chief justice of Karnataka on July 5 during the first anniversary celebrations of the bench to bring Bellary and Koppal districts under the purview of the Gulbarga bench.

The advocates had cited inadequate number of cases being filed at Gulbarga bench. He had then had promised to look into their demands. This prompted the lawyers in Bellary and Koppal districts to oppose the move.

Their contention was that being under the purview of Dharwad bench was more convenient to lawyers and clients while that under Gulbarga was inconvenient and economically unviable.

Meanwhile a delegation of advocates from Dharwad bench met governor Hans Raj Bharadwaj and Union law minister Veerappa Moily at Bangalore last week and asked them to maintain the status quo.

By bringing Koppal and Bellary districts under Gulbarga bench nearly 6,000 cases will be transferred to Gulbarga. But it could reduce the number of cases being filed in future because the people will find it difficult to reach Gulbarga, he said.