K'taka lawyers set for massive showdown;police on high alert

Bangalore, Mar 9: With the lawyer community in Karnataka shamed after certain members from the community resorted to violence on Mar 2

, the advocates are all set to converge at the City Civil Courts Complex for a massive showdown on Friday.

The protesting advocates are demanding stern action against the police officers who according to them took to violence and an unbiased media coverage on cases regarding them. Most advocates from the state are expected to converge to register their protest.

Contemplating that the meet would end up in violence, the City police have taken all necessary precautions to avoid any untoward incidents. Converting Central Bangalore into a fortress of security, as many as 2,947 police officers of various ranks have been deployed to maintain law and order in the place. [Read: Court shut after black coats riot in Bangalore streets]

Among those deployed include, 7 Deputy Commissioners of Police, 20 Assistant Commissioners, 60 police inspectors, 140 sub-inspectors, 800 men constables, 140 women constables, 30 platoons of KSRP (a total of 600 policemen) and eight companies of Rapid Action Force (a total of 980 policemen) of Central agencies will take charge of the area. The monitoring is concentrated in and around High Court, City Civil Court Complex, Mayo Hall, CID Circle, Police Corner, K G Road, K R Circle, Hudson Circle and Mysore Bank Circle.

According to reports, the advocates will undertake a march from the City Civil Courts Complex till the High Court. The heavy police deployment, close to 500 policemen was witnessed on Thursday as well at the Civil Courts and the High Court.

Foreseeing violence in lieu of the intelligence report revealing the same, the Director General & Inspector General of Police, Shankar M Bidari is understood to have called a emergency meeting of senior city police officials on Thursday evening to discuss the situation.

The officers were asked to restraint maximum restraint in the face of provocation. Among those who attended the meeting include the City Police Commissioner B G Jyothiprakash Mirji, Additional Commissioners of Police and all the Deputy Commissioners. [Read: Lawyers on rampage, media become sitting ducks again]

Bidari has been quoted as saying to agencies, "Considering the seriousness of the situation and intelligence inputs, we have decided to deploy additional forces and sought assistance of contingencies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). We have taken sufficient measures to ensure no untoward incident takes place."

Prohibitory orders under Sec 144 are in place from 6am to 12 midnight on Mar 9 at areas surrounding the Vidhana Soudha, High Grounds, Upparpet, Ashoknagar, Cubbon Park, Halasuru Gate, SJ Park, SR Nagar, City Market and Chickpet Police limits. The prohibitory orders have been extended till Mar 18 as a precautionary measure.

Bidari added, "I have decided to impose the prohibitory orders based on reports from intelligence wing that miscreants were planning to take the advantage of proposed protests by advocates, citizens and media representatives."

OneIndia News