Bangalore, November 9
In an incident unprecedented in the history of higher judiciary in the country, protesting lawyers today ran berserk in the court of controversy-laden Karnataka High Court Chief Justice PD Dinakaran and forced him to suspend work.

At least four lawyers and two press correspondents were also thrashed by the lawyers inside the court where the Chief Justice was supposed to ensure the implementation of the law of the land. Lawyers, in a bid to enforce the one-day boycott call given by the Advocates Association, Bangalore (AAB), confronted Dinakaran in court hall number 1 where a Division Bench headed by him was conducting the proceedings. Work in the high court began as usual at 10.30 am.

Around 11.15 am, shouts of “Dinakaran - down, down” were heard outside the CJ’s court. The slogan raising got louder and soon about 50 lawyers broke into the court and started raising slogans.

Dinakaran tried to pacify them but his repeated requests asking the lawyers to give him an opportunity to speak did not have any effect. There was chaos in the courtroom as hooting and whistling greeted the CJ’s words. Some of the lawyers, who were present in the court to plead their cases before the CJ, resisted the disruption of court proceedings. They were thrashed by protesters and dragged out from the court. This reporter, who was present when the event unfolded in court hall no 1, saw four lawyers being thrashed mercilessly by the protesters and dragged out from the court.

Finally, at the intervention of AAB leaders, Dinakaran was given a chance to address the protesters. “I am one of you, tell me what my sin is? I have been silent all these days. But my silence should not be seen as my defeat,” Dinakaran said. “If you people do not come to my rescue, then who will?” he said.

But, the protesters were not ready to listen to the CJ anymore. As the news about the showdown with the CJ spread, more lawyers started gathering there. Finally, Dinakaran and his colleague Justice Mohan Shantanagoudar decided that it was time to leave. Dinakaran left the court rather theatrically. He stood on the podium for a while with his hands folded before beating a retreat.

It was now the turn of the mediapersons to face the wrath of the lawyers. Two reporters, who were found capturing the unruly scene inside the court on their phone cameras, were caught by the protesters and thrashed before being thrown out from the court. A Division Bench of the high court, in response to a writ filed by a citizen, had yesterday stayed the resolution adopted by the AAB on November 4 to boycott courts in protest against the continuation of Dinakaran as the Chief Justice.

Denying the reports that Justice Gopal Gowda, a judge of the high court, was beaten up by the protesting lawyers, R Rajanna, general secretary of the AAB, said Gowda was kept confined in his court by the protesters as he was “adamant to continue with the proceedings”.

By afternoon, however, order could be somewhat restored in the HC and three Division Benches, including the one headed by Dinakaran, resumed work. Work in other courts in Bangalore and elsewhere in the state, however, was severely affected by the AAB’s call.