This story is from February 27, 2020

Sedition case: Karnataka HC slams heckling of 2 Bengaluru lawyers

The high court described the heckling of a group of Bengaluru lawyers allegedly by members of the local bar at Dharwad on Monday as nothing less than ‘sheer militancy’.
Sedition case: Karnataka HC slams heckling of 2 Bengaluru lawyers
Karnataka high court (File Photo)
BENGALURU: The high court described the heckling of a group of Bengaluru lawyers allegedly by members of the local bar at Dharwad on Monday as nothing less than ‘sheer militancy’.
The HC hinted that hearing of the bail plea of three Kashmiri students, held for sedition, may be transferred to a court in Bengaluru if the local bar association doesn’t budge from its stand.

A division bench headed by chief justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka made this observation on Wednesday while hearing a PIL filed by 24 advocates. The matter was taken up in the backdrop of stiff opposition by local lawyers on Monday when advocates Maitreyi Krishna and others attended the court in Dharwad to file bail applications on behalf of thestudents.
On February 15,thebar association passed a resolution asking its members not to represent the students. It had also urged members of other bar associations to follow suit. In addition, the three students were attacked when they were produced before the local court.
BT Venkatesh and 23 other advocates approached the court through a PIL seeking quashing of the said resolution. Acting on the PIL, the court directed the police commissioner of Hubballi-Dharwad to provide security to advocates who wanted to appear on behalf of the three students.
During the hearing, advocate general Prabhuling K Navadagi said he held talks with office-bearers of the local bar association and would try to impress upon them to give up their boycott call.

The bench then adjourned the matter to Thursday. Earlier, the high court bench had said the boycott call was tantamount to criminal contempt of court.
Even Kasab was given a fair trial: Justice Oka
Further, Justice Oka said, “We don’t run kangaroo courts in this country. Even Ajmal Kasab (Pakistani militant caught and hanged in the Mumbai terror attack case) was given afair trial. Here, advocates are not allowed to appear for the accused in bail petitions. This is nothing less than sheer militancy. This should not happen in this state.”
The petitioners, however, complimented police who provided security to Maitreyi Krishnan and other advocates. The court was told that if not for police protection, things would have been worse.
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