Sedition case: Bengaluru advocates’ car stoned

Hubballi: Three advocates from Bengaluru, who arrived in Dharwad to move a bail application in favour of three Kashmiri students who were arrested on the charge of sedition for raising pro-Pakistan slogans were accorded a hostile reception with a few members of the Dharwad Bar Association pelting stones at the car they were travelling in, damaging the glass at its rear.

As the car ferrying the advocates was about to leave the Dharwad court premises, the lawyers pelted stones, resulting in a tense situation.

The police who were deployed at the court, rushed to the spot and had a tough time controlling the situation. The students had raised pro-Pakistan slogans in a video circulated on the anniversary of the Pulwama terror attack on February 14.

Earlier in the day, the advocates representing the accused students, were ferried to the court complex amid tight security as per the high court’s order.

The high court had asked Hubballi-Dharwad police commissioner R. Dileep to provide total security for the advocates.  This decision came in the backdrop of the Hubballi Bar Assoiation’s  decision not to plead in court in favour of the accused students.

Over 300 policemen were deployed in and around the court complex. The association’s members raised pro-India slogans and asked the visiting advocates not to plead for anti-nationals.

As a precautionary me-asure, the police did not allow any advocate to enter the court hall and this provoked the local advocates to raise slogans against the poli-ce. The visiting advocates from Bengaluru were whisked away to an unknown place by the police.

The court headed by principal district & sessions judge Eshappa Bhute, however, did not admit the bail application citing procedural lapses. The Dharwad Bar Association advocates raised objection to the bail plea and said that the advocates for the accused have not followed the court procedure while moving the bail plea and, hence, the court should not entertain the application.

Upholding the objection, the judge asked advocates Maitri and Nare-ndra to file the application with documents at the office according to procedure.