The proceedings in a local court at Kottayam district of Kerala were stopped by members of the Kottayam Bar Association, who were protesting against registration of a first information report against a lawyer in a forgery case.
The agitated lawyers halted the proceedings going on in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Viveeja Sethumohan on Thursday and shouted slogans against her. As per reports, the Advocates shouted “po pulle, podi pulle, CJM ye” and allegedly used abusive words against the CJM.
CJM Sethumohan recorded in her order that more than 200 lawyers led by Advocates Sojan Pavianiyos and Benny Kurian halted the proceedings going on in her court and shouted slogans against her.
She alleged that the President and Secretary of the Kottayam Bar Association were amongst the agitators.
The Magistrate said that a few videographers recorded the court proceedings, including the protest. When police aid at the court tried to intervene, the lawyers turned against them as well, interrupting proceedings for 5 to 8 minutes, she added in the order.
It was learnt that the agitation spanned the entire corridor of the court complex. The videos of the protest were also widely shared on WhatsApp within hours.
The protests followed registration of an FIR against Advocate MP Nawab on November 8. Police had registered an FIR against Advocate Nawab after the Magistrate court forwarded a complaint filed by the sheristadar of the court alleging that Advocate Nawab had created and submitted false documents to the court to get his client released on bail.
Both Advocate Nawab and his client were charged with offences punishable under Sections 465 (forgery), 466 (forgery of a court record or public register), 468 (forgery with intent to defraud, 471 (using forged document as genuine), and 34 (criminal act done by multiple persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
On November 22, the Kottayam Bar Association issued a notice stating that all Advocates will protest the registration of the FIR and against the Magistrate’s allegedly ‘poor conduct’ towards lawyers. The notice called for a boycott of court proceedings on Thursday.
The Bar Association said in the notice that unless action was taken to drop the proceedings against Advocate Nawab within a period of seven days, the boycott will continue.