Group of lawyers create rucuks in HC during contempt hearing

The Madras High Court today witnessed chaotic scenes with a group of about 100 advocates creating a ruckus in the corridors of a court hall as suo motu contempt proceedings against two leaders of Madurai Bar Association were heard in-camera.
Despite elaborate security arrangements, including CCTV cameras, made in anticipation of trouble, the alleged supporters of the two leaders occupied the corridors of Court No.4 and shouted slogans after being barred from entering the hall where the matter was heard by a bench.
This is the second time this week the court witnessed trouble. On September 14, a group of Madurai-based lawyers, including two women, were arrested after they staged a protest before the Chief Justice's bench demanding that Tamil be made official language in the court.

Media was denied permission to cover the contempt proceedings by the bench comprising Justice S Tamilvanan and Justice C.T. Selvam against Madurai Bar Association President A Dharmarajan and Secretary A.K. Ramasamy.
The bench has initiated suo motu contempt proceedings against the two in connection with a procession taken out by them in Madurai protesting a high court order making wearing of helmet compulsory and raising slogans against the Judge who had passed the order and also making "defamatory" statements against almost all Judges of the court.
Stating that it had information that the alleged contemnors were planning to bring their supporters during the hearing today, the bench had on September 14 directed the Registrar General to take all steps to prevent any trouble.

Accordingly, the entire high court campus was handed over to police with Additional Commissioner of Police V A Ravikumar supervising the security arrangements.

However, about 100 advocates, who came in three buses from Madurai, stood in the corridors of the Court No.4 and were seen quarrelling with the police on being prevented from entering the hall.
They kept shouting slogans and levelled corruption charges against some judges even as the bench conducted the hearing.
In its order later, the bench directed the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry (BCTP) to state if the fact that Ramasamy having been declared insolvent had been brought to its notice either by the contemner or others.