Chennai: The ongoing agitation by a section of advocates touched a new low today (Aug 20, 2004) when the agitators let loose violence against media-men and the police, stationed inside the High Court Complex to provide bandobust.

The agitators began the day with their usual dharna (sit-in) and slogan shouting inside the court premises demanding, among other things, the removal of the Chief Justice of the High Court, B Subhashan Reddy and the total withdrawal of the 25-point code of conduct for the advocates, notified recently.

With the arrest of three advocates last night, the mood of the striking lawyers became more aggressive and they moved out of the court premises and staged a road roko, blocking traffic.

Policemen who were present in large numbers tried to pacify them. But when it proved futile, two of the advocates were rounded up and put in a waiting police van.

Soon a fresh bout of violence followed and a couple of lawyers lay down in front of the van, daring the police to drive the vehicle over them and indulged in pushing.

Meanwhile, a section of the agitators pelted stones at police vans, damaging their windscreens, while some others flattened the tyres of the police vehicles. They then turned their wrath on the media-men. In the process, cameramen of two private TV channels and a photographer of a Tamil daily were beaten up. Some even threw stones at the media men, besides using foul language against them for the 'lop sided coverage' of the agitation.

After stopping vehicular traffic for nearly 30 minutes in the busy N S C Road near the High Court, the agitating members of the Madras High Court Advocates Association (MHAA) rushed back to the court premises and locked the main gate. Police rushed to the spot and opened the door, after which they continued their dharna inside the court premises.

The situation is still tense.