HC suspends sentence of former law students

The Madras High Court today suspended the three years simple imprisonment awarded by a trial court to 19 former law students in a case related to violent clashes between two groups of students in Dr Ambedkar Government Law College premises here in 2008.
Passing interim orders on a batch of appeals filed by 19 accused, Justice P Devadoss suspended the January 28 order passed by XVII Additional Sessions Court Judge Gomathi Nayakam.
He also ordered notice to the respondents and adjourned the petition for hearing after four weeks.
The sessions judge had convicted a total of 21 former law students and acquitted 22 others.

While all 21 accused were held guilty under IPC section 324 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons and means), the 19 appellants were also convicted under section 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon).
All the convicts were released on bail by the trial court.
The case relates to violent incidents on November 12, 2008 between two groups of students in the campus of the college which had overtones of a caste clash.
After a student with a knife was thrashed by a group in the college campus, it became a free-for-all subsequently for a full 90 minutes. Violent scenes were witnessed and police accused of being silent spectators.