Central force needed to solve ‘vexed issue’, says Madras High Court

Chennai: The chief justice of the Madras HC said that the situation in the court worsens whenever steps are taken to solve the vexed issue of bad blood running between the police and lawyers. For the past six years, too many incidents took place and there is bad blood running between them, especially after the violent clash in February 19, 2009. This must be stopped.

The court recognises the service rendered by the police in providing security to the High Court and not casting any adverse remarks against them. Similarly, the court does not have anything against the bar.

He said the institution was built over the years and we should not allow it to fall apart. Hence, there is necessity to call for a neutral force to provide security cover to the court.

The court is not favouring the neutral force on a permanent basis and once normalcy is restored the neutral force can be recalled. The neutral force is necessary in the interest of all the stake holders including judges, advocates, litigants and police, the CJ said.

Meanwhile, President of the Madras High court advocate’s association, R.C Paul Kanagaraj, assured the court that the advocate community was ready to cooperate with the state police. Advocate S.Kasi Ramalingam sought for establishment of ‘Judicial Police’ for addressing all the requirement of the judiciary including security cover and 30 per cent of lawyers are fake.

The bench, in its order said “even use of expert security force is really a temporary arrangement to establish working relationship which we feel is utmost necessary at present when we are in the process of establishing proper security system for High court. We are of the view that role has to be performed by any independent security force while not removing the police from the picture”.

Directing the Central and State Governments to discuss the modalities with regard to the security cover to the courts by the neutral force the bench has adjourned the matter to October 30.

It may be noted that the on September 14, after a group of advocates from Madurai staged a protest in the First Court headed by the CJ, the court directed the central and state government to provide central security cover to Madras High court and its bench in Madurai and declare the campuses as High Security Zone.

Following this, the State government declared the campuses as High court zone. Opposing the central force security cover, the State government had decided to increase the number of security personnel on the  campuses.