Chennai: Tension gripped the family court building at Madras HC complex as several lawyers thrashed a few among 17 persons, arrested on charge of raping a 12-year-old hearing impaired girl, on Tuesday. They laid siege to the court complex at 1 pm and prevented the cops from escorting the accused to Puzhal prison from Mahila court until 8 pm. The subordinate court judges and senior police officers held talks with the advocates till 7.45 pm.
According to sources, the cops were waiting for the situation to improve as the accused were remanded to judicial custody. On Monday, Ayanavaram police arrested 18 persons including security guards and plumbers on charge of sexually assaulting the minor for seven months at an apartment complex in the city. On Tuesday morning, the cops took them to the residence of Mahila Court judge (Metropolitan Magistrate-Egmore) at Saidapet.
The judge directed the cops to produce them before District Mahila Court on Madras High Court premises. The cops rushed to the complex at 11.30 am After perusing the documents, the judge pointed out some discrepancies and directed them to rectify them. Meanwhile, the cops made the accused to stay outside the court.
Meanwhile, the cops made the accused to stay outside the court and over 50 police personnel including women cops provided security cover on the corridor. As the news spread, a section of advocates, including women lawyers, rushed to the place and waited near the complex. The Mahila court judge took up the matter at 1.10 pm and remanded all the 17 persons till July 31.
Sensing trouble, the cops divided the accused into two groups and decided to escort eight accused to police van waiting near the gate. As the cops took the accused covered with mask to the second floor, the advocates waiting on the second floor pounced on them and thrashed them severely.
The advocates dragged and assaulted the accused indiscriminately and abused them for raping the minor girl. An accused attired in shorts sustained injuries in the attack. The women cops, who were accompanying the accused, were unable to prevent the advocates from attacking them on the staircase and corridors of the family court complex. Immediately, they took shelter in the CBI court and additional family court III.
