Lawyers' atrocity in B'lore leaves journalist guild fuming

Bangalore, Mar 2: In what can be called a black-Friday in Bangalore as 'law-protectors' unleashed terror to become lawbreakers, lawyers targeted journalists outside Karnataka court premises and prevented the media from covering Gali Janardhana Reddy's hearing in a special CBI court on March 2.

Reddy was brought to Bangalore from Andhra Pradesh by officials to produce him in a special CBI court in relation to the illegal-mining case under his name.

However, this outright hooliganism shown by a section of Karnataka lawyers has irked the journalist guild across the country. And this is what few journalists had to say regarding this unfortunate incident in Bangalore. [Read: K'taka: Lawyers on rampage, media become sitting ducks again]

"In my eight-years of career as a journalist, I have seen this kind of violent behavior by lawyers a number of times. This often happens in Lucknow, where lawyers get into fights with civilians and public servants. Still I remember the incident six-years ago at the District Administration Office, Lucknow, where they set ablaze many vehicles," says Ajay Mohan, now based in Bangalore.

"This is an atrocious act by lawyers. Meanwhile, this is not the first time in which journalists are being attacked in the line of duty. But, lawyers attacking journos for whatever reason is completely unacceptable. It is a deplorable act. Those who are involved in this incident should be punished," said Khader Khan A, a senior journalist from Tamil Nadu.

Editor of ATI News, Lucknow, said, "It's of no surprise as this is not the first time that something of this sort happened. These sort of incidents take place frequently in Uttar Pradesh, Meerut, Lucknow, Varanasi, Allahabad. But, I'm worried about budding lawyers, who shall draw a wrong message from their seniors."

"There is a black-sheep in every community and Advocates are no different. There is a caucus between politicians and lawyers, what we see today in Bangalore, is a classic example of the same," said Anita Nair, a city based Sub Editor.

"There is a 'mafia' operating within the Bangalore Bar Association. Anti-social elements, agents of a political party and politicians unleashing terror to destabilize already deteriorating relation between police-judiciary-media," vented a senior journalist, Sham Sunder, from Bangalore.

"Meanwhile, the Karnataka media community don't have a well-knit platform to safeguard themselves and fight for their causes. Needless to say BJP government is corrupt, inefficient and incapable of handling any public issue. Politicians and Bangalore police both fear advocates," he added.

A sports reporter in Bangalore, Aprameya C, said, "It is really unfortunate. Whatever the issue be, being lawyers they can't afford to take law into their hands. They should not have resorted to violence and this act should be condemned in the worst possible manner."

OneIndia News