Zeenews Bureau
Bangalore: A day after unruly lawyers attacked mediapersons in city`s civil court premises, all courts in Bangalore remain closed on Saturday.
A judicial probe was ordered by the state government after vehement media protests over the incident.
Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda is scheduled to meet State Home and law department officials to take stock of the situation.
Members of Press Club will also hold a rally in the city. The Congress will hold a protest march, party souces said.
Meanwhile, talking to a private news channel, Karnataka DGP said that that law will take its own course “without favouring anybody”.
High drama was witnessed outside the civil court here when unruly lawyers attacked mediapersons and pelted stones damaging OB vans, leaving at least 20 scribes and police personnel injured.
The court complex turned into a battle zone as the rampaging advocates targeted journalists, particularly electronic media crew, who had gathered to cover the appearance of mining baron G Janardhana Reddy before a court in an illegal mining case.
Lawyers were caught on camera hurling stones, chairs and water bottles at the media, police and public. They also attacked vehicles, including a police van, in front of a police outpost in the court premises.
It was a surcharged atmosphere as some lawyers went on an attacking spree without any provocation, identifying visual media personnel. Their cameras were snatched by the lawyers who abused them, objecting to the media presence.
Finding the situation getting out of hand, police burst teargas shells and later lathicharged the lawyers when the cops themselves became targets.
The city police promulgated prohibitory orders around the complex but have not made any arrest so far.
Describing the attack as `shameful and dastardly`, Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda announced a judicial probe and said government would not compromise on taking action against guilty lawyers.
He also said government would bear the medical expenses of the injured and fix compensation after assessing the damage to private and public property.
The lawyers turned their ire against mediapersons as they were also stated to be unhappy about the news coverage of a protest staged by them in January, which had caused a huge traffic gridlock in the nerve centre of the city and earned the public anger.
