VISAKHAPATNAM: PROTESTING the police action on an advocate in Nandyal in Kurnool district, all the members of Visakhapatnam Bar Association boycotted the courts on Wednesday. The Nandyal police handcuffed an advocate in a hospital on a complaint of the RDO, Nandyal. Strongly condemning the police action, the members of the Visakhapatnam Bar Association did not attend any case and staged a dharna demanding stringent action against the police who handcuffed the advocate. As no advocate attended the court all the cases were adjourned.
Addressing the gatherings, Visakhapatnam Bar Association president NV Suman, secretary SN Swami and Forum for Legal Professionals president Kuppli Muralidhar demanded immediate action against the RDO and the CI of Nandyal. President of Forum of Legal Professionals Kuppili Muralidhar said that handcuffing of person was a clear violation of the law and the guidelines were laid down by the supreme court in the DK Basu vs Union of India case. He said National Human Rights Commission could take suo motu notice on it and call for reports from the concerned.
Former public prosecutor Bandaru Ramamrishna said that certain guidelines must be framed to deal with cases where members of legal professionals talk in their representative capacity before state officials. Senior lawyer K Narasimha Murthy found fault with the judicial order which clearly lays down guidelines to follow section 41 A of CRPC. If it is not followed, even the magistrate who passes the remand order is also punishable, he said.