THOOTHUKUDI: Demanding the arrest of those behind the murder of advocate PK Muthukumar, the Thoothukudi bar association has announced an indefinite strike. They blockaded the road on Tamil Salai during an agitation held on Thursday. Sources said Muthukumar, a member of the Thoothukudi bar association, was murdered by an unidentified gang at Soreespuram on Wednesday. The district police has formed three special teams to arrest the absconding suspects, they added.
Condemning the murder, the Thoothukudi bar association said the police failed to prevent the murder. The advocates also staged a demonstration in front of the combined court campus demanding the immediate arrest of the accused and providing safety and security for the lawyers. The safety of the lawyers is necessary for better cooperation with the police, they said.
Thoothukudi bar association president and senior advocate Chenguttuvan said the bar would withdraw the strike only after the police arrest the suspects. "Advocates from Thoothukudi bar will not appear for the accused and an intervenor will be appointed if lawyers from other districts assist the accused, who should be detained under the Goondas Act. The state government must enact a special act to protect lawyers considering the significance of their profession," he added.