Who allowed cops to enter HC: SC asks TN Govt

The Apex Court today directed Tamil Nadu government to inform it by tomorrow on whose instance police had entered Madras High Court premises on February 19, the day of the lawyers-police clashes.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday took strong exception to the entry of police into the Madras High Court premises February 19 and the beating up of lawyers and litigants by them.

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Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan asked the Tamil Nadu government to file a detailed report on incident in the high court premises. The judge called out the names of police officers responsible for allowing the police force into the court premises.

Balakrishnan was hearing a bunch of lawsuits on the ongoing lawyers' strike in Tamil Nadu.

Pitched battles were fought in the court premises February 19 after the police arrested 17 lawyers for attacking Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy two days earlier. Lawyers had hurled rotten eggs at Swamy in the high court premises and shouted anti-India slogans.

After the February 19 clash, the lawyers struck work, demanding action against the police.