Fresh violence in Patiala House, SC asks CP to ensure safety

New Delhi, Feb 17: Upset over brazen defiance of its orders by a bunch of rowdy lawyers, the Supreme Court today stepped in and issued a tough message to Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi to personally ensure the safety and security of JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, journalists and others in Patiala House Court complex.

The stern message came at the end of a day-long drama of violence and abuses hurled by men in black robes who took law in their hands for the second day this week when Kumar was brought for remand proceedings before Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen.

The court had earlier in the day given a slew of directions and limited the entry of lawyers, journalists and others in the court premises in the wake of violence on Monday when scribes, teachers and students of JNU were thrashed by the lawyers. But the directions were of no consequence when some lawyers attacked Kumar and some journalists again today.

Senior lawyers including Kapil Sibal, Indira Jaising and advocate Prashant Bhushan, drew the attention of the bench of Justices J Chelameswar and A M Sapre to the "extra-ordinary" situation in Patiala House Court where the security and safety was under threat.

The court then stepped in to rush a six-member panel of advocates appointed by it to Patiala House courts in the afternoon after it was apprised of fresh incidents of violence involving persons in black robes.

The lawyers team gave an oral report mentioning that the situation at the Patiala House Court was "unprecedented" and there was an "atmosphere was of fear and terror" and that there was a total breakdown of law and order in which Kumar was "manhandled". The bench then made it clear that "the responsibility is exclusively is that of the Commissioner of Police, Delhi to ensure the safety of the accused."

PTI