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Madras lawyers call off court boycott

Advocates in Madras, who resumed their indefinite boycott of the courts on Tuesday, have decided to suspend their agitation from Thursday.

The lawyers were demanding the arrest of two policemen who had allegedly assaulted one of them on June 10.

Madras High Court Advocates Association president P Jayaraman, who announced the decision after a general body meeting, however, said a final decision on the boycott would be taken after a secret ballot on Thursday.

At the MHAA meeting, a group of lawyers had pressed for suspending the boycott while another raised slogans for its continuation.

The advocates had boycotted courts from June 15, but suspended it on June 18 following a high court directive to the 15th metropolitan magistrate to issue non-bailable warrants against the two policemen -- Tondiarpet Sub-Inspector J C N Jaffe and Head Constable Marriappan -- on a petition filed by advocate R Rajan.

Tuesday, Principal Sessions Judge R Bhanumathi had rejected the anticipatory bail plea of the police personnel on the ground that granting their plea at this stage would be contrary to the high court's directions. The MHAA resumed its boycott as the police failed to arrest the alleged after this.

UNI

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