The agitation by the Joint Action Council to set up a High Court bench in Thiruvananthapuram turned violent on Monday when a group of protesters tried to enter the Accountant General's office, prompting the police to use water cannon to disperse them.
Trouble started when a group of persons, including some DYFI activists, pushed their way into the AG's office as part of their stir against the Central Government for refusing to recommend a High Court bench in the capital.
The agitators also damaged a government vehicle near the District Court premises, police said.
The JAC, led by the Thiruvananthapuram Bar Association, has been on the warpath for the past one year in support of their demand for a high court bench. The council members were on a relay satyagraha in front of the District Court.