The police on Friday burst teargas shells and used batons to quell violent crowds of advocates, who pelted stones and attacked media persons and the police in the city civil court premises, leaving several of them injured including a deputy commissioner of police.
The trouble erupted when a section of lawyers assaulted media persons who were in the court complex to cover former minister and mining baron G Janardhana Reddy's appearance before a Central Bureau of Investigation court in an illegal mining case.
Some advocates tried to prevent lensmen and media persons from filming the visuals of Reddy and it soon turned into ugly scenes of scuffle and wordy duel between advocates, media persons and police before violence broke out.
Besides several media persons, some police personnel including Deputy Commissioner of Police Ramesh, were injured in the stone pelting, police said.
Going on the rampage, the lawyers also pelted stones at a government college located near the court, triggering protests from students.
As the situation went out of control and advocates started throwing stones from the court building, police rushed in and resorted to lathicharge to disperse them.
Top police officials, including City Police Commissioner Jyoti Prakash Mirji, rushed to the spot and were trying to bring the situation under control.
Expressing anguish over the attack, Karnataka Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda said stringent action will be taken against those responsible.
"I have asked Home Minister R Ashok to take action to bring the situation under control and initiate steps to protect journalists. The government will render necessary protection to media persons to ensure they can work in a free atmosphere," Gowda told reporters.
Gowda said he has convened a meeting of top officials, including the home department secretary, DGP and the city police commissioner to discuss the violence that broke out in the court premises.
Condemning the attack on the journalists, former Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde said appropriate action should be taken by the law enforcement authority.
"Very unfortunate....coming from an educated class of people. It looks like an all out attack on media because they have been publishing against them," he said.
Ashok termed the attack on the media and police as "unfortunate" and slammed the advocates for indulging in violence.
"Action will be taken as per law. It is unfortunate that such incidents by lawyers has been occurring at frequent intervals", he said apparently referring to the road blockade by lawyers in the busy Kempegowda road on January 17.The violence had its effect in working in the city civil court complex as proceedings were suspended in several court halls
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