After Delhi, scribes attacked again, this time outside Kerala high court

A group of advocates on Wednesday allegedly attacked media persons outside the Kerala high court complex here, leaving five people injured during their protests against the media coverage of the case of an alleged bid by a government pleader to molest a woman in the city last week.

Unruly scenes were witnessed as some lawyers supporting government pleader Dhanesh Mathew Manjooran allegedly attacked media persons who were standing at a road leading to the Court complex. The injured included two TV camerapersons. TV footage of the incident showed media persons being chased and kicked by advocates even as police tried to rescue them. Three media persons, including a woman TV journalist, have been admitted to the Government General Hospital, Ernakulam, Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) representatives said. The other two were discharged after first aid, he said. The men in black robes shouted slogans against senior women scribes who were already in the court complex for covering the proceedings, asking them to ‘go back’.

Protests by advocates within the court complex forced High Court authorities to lock down the media room there. The women journalists could cover the court proceedings only after police posted in the complex provided them adequate security assistance. The women scribes later lodged a complaint with acting Chief Justice Thottathil B Radhakrishnan against the lawyers.