The Madras High Court on Tuesday witnessed gruesome scenes after an advocate was attacked in his own chambers by his son. Although this incident is said to have taken place due to family issues, and the profession of the victim — who is being treated for his injuries — may only be incidental, there have been several incidents over the years in which lawyers have been targeted and murdered. Here’s a look at the cases over the past eight years.
June 22, 2016
A 42-year-old advocate was hacked to death by a five-member gang in broad daylight in Vyasarpadi when he was returning home after dropping his two children at school. The victim, T Ravi, a resident of Arumuga Pillai Street in Vasarpadi, left home around 8.30 am to drop his two children at school. “While returning, he was intercepted by a gang that came on two motorbikes on Sathyamoorthy Nagar Main Road. They parked their bikes a few metres away from the spot and approached Ravi. When the gang began assaulting him, Ravi left his scooter and attempted to run home, but the attackers gained on him near an Ambedkar statue and hacked him with sickles in full public view,” police said.
June 16, 2016
An advocate was murdered in broad daylight in Puzhal. Akhilan alias Akhilnath (34), a resident of Sankaralinganar Street, Kavangarai, a lawyer who was practising in the Judicial Magistrate Court in Ponneri, was reportedly murdered by a gang near his house. A senior official of the City Police said Akhilan was talking to his friend when a six-member gang in three motorcycles surrounded and attacked him with deadly weapons. The victim was killed on the spot.
June 5, 2016
A 46-year-old advocate was found murdered in Trustpuram, Kodambakkam. He was found lying dead near the entrance of an apartment complex on Sixth Street. Police said C Murugan had visited the complex in search of a flat on rent. He was struck with a heavy object on his head, investigating policemen said.
Apr 12, 2016
An advocate was hacked to death by two unidentified men in Vilivakkam. The deceased, identified as Azhagiri, was a lawyer practicing in Bengaluru. He was riding a two-wheeler on Palaiamman Koil Street at night in Villivakkam when two unidentified men attacked him with sharp weapons. Passersby rushed him to the Kilpauk Medical College Hospital where he died. Azhagiri, a resident of Mahadi in Bengaluru was a member of the Bangalore Bar Council, the police said.
Dec 16, 2015
An advocate belonging to Scheduled Caste community was murdered by an armed gang at Samayapuram, possibly in retaliation for a murder he was accused of in the same area in June 2014. The murder triggered tension in the area with a heavy posse of police personnel deployed at Samayapuram. The victim, C Sekar, 52, was the former president of Madakudi panchayat. Sekar who engaged in the real estate business, was standing in front of his office when a three-member gang came in a motorcycle and hacked him to death with deadly weapons. Sekar died on the spot.
Sep 7, 2015
Chennai: A 34-year-old city-based lawyer was shot dead allegedly by his client, an accused in murder cases, in an inebriated state near Mamallapuram, a heritage tourism spot about 70 km from the city. The two were reportedly returning to the city from a bar in Mamallapuram in a car when they halted on the highway. The client then suddenly took out a pistol and shot at the lawyer, Kamesh, in the hip, a police official investigating the case said.
April 3, 2015
TRICHY: Madras high court lawyer M K Raja, the younger brother of M K Stalin, the state vice president of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), was murdered near Thiruvidaimaruthur close to Thanjavur. Police said Raja, 32, was a native of Mela Maruthuvakudi near Kumbakonam in Thanjavur. He had come down from Chennai to his hometown that week for the holidays, and had reportedly gone to attend a temple festival in nearby Thepperumanallur village with three others. On his way back, an oncoming vehicle rammed into Raja’s car. A gang of four rushed out of the vehicle and attacked the lawyer’s car with sharp objects. When Raja went to the aid of his co-travellers, he was murdered by the gang. Police sais the vehicle collision was a deliberate attempt to target the occupants of the car.
Jan 31, 2015
A 38-year-old lawyer was allegedly hacked and stoned to death by a group of lawyers after the Egmore Bar Association election results were declared. The deceased was identified as C Stalin of Villivakkam. Police said Stalin was celebrating the victory of Chandan Babu, who was elected as president of the bar association. He suffered injuries on his back and hands when a group of 'armed lawyers' attacked him, possibly displeased at the results of the election.
Sept 13, 2014
A four-member gang waylaid R Shanmugam (37), a lawyer residing at Kallakurichi and practicing in the Sankarapuram court, and hacked him to death on Saturday. Police sources said Shanmugam had an extra-marital affair with a woman living at Udhayampattu near Thiagadurgam. They said the lawyer was suspected to have had a hand in the murder of Dhandapani, the woman’s husband, two years earlier and also in the untimely death of the Sankarapuram town panchayat chairman Munisamy in 2013.
Aug 8, 2014
An advocate of the Madras High court bench, out on bail a few days earlier after allegedly murdering his clerk-cum-driver in 2013, was hacked to death at Tirupalai when he was on his morning walk. Police said Muthu Durai, 35, hailing from Tirunelveli, had a difference of opinion with his driver over an issue and allegedly hacked him to death. His relatives had vowed to avenge the murder. They said the advocate had been told to be careful.
May 5, 2014
An advocate out walking his dog in the night was murdered in the city. The victim Mathiazhagan was on a walk with his pet dog near Rukmini theatre in Woraiyur area, when he was attacked by armed culprits in a small lane in the area. Police sources said the advocate planted a deadly blow on the head with a weapon, which caused instant death.
Jan 22, 2014
Four persons hacked a lawyer to death at a hotel in Aminjikarai, police said. Nithyanandam, 33, who was a lawyer and a resident of Thirukazhukundram, had been staying at Senniamman Koil Street in Aminjikarai. Police said Nithyanandam's father Kuppan had killed a man named Vijaykumar over business enmity in 2012. Later, Vijayakumar's brother Suresh murdered Kuppan. Subsequently, Suresh also decided to bump off Nithyanandam, police said. On Thursday, four persons barged into the hotel and hacked Nithyanandam to death when he was having his breakfast.
June 19, 2013
Advocate K Natarajan (36) of Naachipatti village near Venanthur in Rasipuram Taluk was murdered during the late hours. He had been practising in the Salem and Rasipuram courts. “He was returning home from Salem in a bus and alighted at the Naachipatti Junction. He was chased by a gang who had come in a minivan and was hacked with sickles that left multiple deep cuts on his body, leaving him dead on the spot,” Police said. Police said relatives and neighbours of the victim heard him cry out for help and rushed to the spot but found him dead in a pool of blood.
Feb 11, 2013
A Kannan, a 32-year-old advocate, was hacked to death on Thanjavur road at Machuvadi by a group of unidentified persons. The incident happened when Kannan was proceeding to the court from his residence in Machuvadi Thillai Nagar. Unidentified persons, who were riding two-wheelers, intercepted his bike and attacked him with deadly weapons, police said. He died on the spot.
Apr 30, 2010
A notorious history-sheeter, along with his lawyer, was hacked to death near Poonamallee, hours before the judgment on a bomb blast case, in which he was an accused, was to be pronounced by a TADA court. An eight-member gang took the rowdy, Chinna alias Chinna Kesavalu, and lawyer Bhagat Singh, by surprise when they had driven a little distance away from the court premises in Poonamallee and stopped the car at Kumananchavadi for lunch. Earlier, Bhagat Singh’s senior Shyamala and the two deceased had arrived at the court at around 10.30 am as the verdict on the case relating to an incident in 2002 - when bombs were hurled at Panagal Park in T Nagar, Chennai - was scheduled for the day.
Feb 22, 2008
Chennai: A 32-year-old lawyer was reportedly hacked to death on the Egmore court premises by some unidentified men. Within hours of the incident, the police arrested five persons, including three advocates. According to the police, Rajinikanth was attacked by unidentified men who came in a car. The police gave the names of the arrested as D Kannan of Perambur, A Sathya from MKB Nagar, P Jayachandran of Wall Tax Road, Kathiresan, and Karate Babu. A special team has been formed to investigate the case. Another person, Y J Sundarrajan (39), was also injured in the attack and was admitted to the Government General Hospital.