Attack on media persons by advocates: AG favours judicial probe

Kochi, Jul 21: Amid continuing stand-off between media persons and a section of lawyers in the Kerala High Court, Advocate General C P Sudhakara Prasad today favoured a judicial probe into the protests by lawyers against media coverage of the case of an alleged bid by a government pleader to molest a woman in the city last week.

"Ordering a judicial probe is the solution. Efforts are being made in this direction," Prasad told a Malayalam news channel here, a day after a group of advocates allegedly attacked media persons outside the Kerala High Court complex.

He was of the view that both advocates and media persons were equally responsible for the incidents. A final decision in this regard is expected only after a meeting of the representatives of media persons and advocates with the High Court authorities.

Anticipating more protests, Ernakulam District Police today issued restrictions against assembly of people in High Court area for 15 days. Meanwhile, the lawyers in the High Court abstained from today's court proceedings to "condemn the attack committed by media persons with the active participation of police".

Criticising the advocates' protest, Chairman of Kerala State Human Rights Commission Justice J B Koshy said advocates boycotting court proceedings was against the Supreme Court's directive.

"It is a noble profession. Holding the dignity of this profession is duty of advocates," Koshy said. Unruly scenes were witnessed in the Kerala High Court premises yesterday afternoon when some lawyers supporting government pleader Dhanesh Mathew Manjooran allegedly attacked media persons who were standing at a road leading to the Court complex.

At least five media persons were injured in the protests. TV footage of the incident had shown media persons being chased and kicked by advocates even as police tried to rescue them.

PTI