Following the clash between police and lawyers at a Kollam district court campus on September 13, members of the Kollam Bar Association continued their boycott, which began on the 13th, on Monday, September 19, as well. The protesters demanded that the police personnel concerned be suspended.
According to reports, lawyer Panambil Jaykumar was taken into custody by the police in relation to a road accident. However, advocates alleged that Karunagappally Circle Inspector Gopakumar attacked him while in custody. The advocates were protesting against this inside the Kollam district court campus when they had an argument with the police, which ended up in a clash, according to a Times of India report. Kollam bar association, which Panambil Jaykumar was a part of, has stated that the boycott would continue until action is taken against the police officer concerned.
The functioning of as many as 20 courts was affected during the clash on September 13, and three police personnel, including Additional Sub-Inspector of Police Manoharan Pillai were injured and admitted to hospital. It has also been reported that a jeep of the police department was damaged.
This is not the first time this year that the state of Kerala is witnessing clashes between the police and lawyers. In May this year, another clash ensued between the two groups in Thiruvananthapuram’s Attingal. The incident took place when an advocate named Mithun Madhusoodanan, who is a member of the Attingal Bar Association, was allegedly abused by a police officer when he went to the police station with regard to a case. It soon turned into a clash between members of the Bar Association and the police.
In February last year, a policeman was assaulted outside the Kerala High Court by a group of lawyers when he came to discuss an issue with the lawyer at a committee convened by the Advocate General.