By Our Legal Correspondent

Thiruvananthapuram: It is rare a law enforcing officer attacks an officer of the court. But yesterday in Nedumangad a civil police officer brutally assaulted a lawyer in the court complex.  The victim has been admitted to the District Hospital and a First Information Report (FIR No: 2030/2023) was filed by the local police against the assailant.

As per the Police report , one Mr Shajahan (address unknown) assaulted Advocate B.S. Prakashan, a senior lawyer with the intention of killing the victim. The report said that the accused attacked the advocate brutally to take revenge. The victim had questioned the accused for manhandling another advocate in uniform. The accused, reportedly a civil police officer, has been charged under IPC sections 294 (b),506, 307 and 324. IPC sections 307 and 324 are non-bailable . 

An advocate practicing in the same court said, “Advocate B.S. Prakashan,  was there in the Magistrate Court in uniform to present a case. While he objected to the accused who tried to manhandle another advocate, the accused got provoked. He went back to and retuned with some criminals and attacked the victim brutally. Later we understood that the accused was a civil police officer.”

 The police report says that the accused attacked the victim at about 12: 30 afternoon, on 04. 10.2023 with an iron rod, to kill him. The complainant advocate was in JFMC-II attending a case. The accused deliberately attacked the victim for the advocate had questioned the accused while he was intimidating another advocate near the court room.

Expressing their deep anguish and protest against the attack on a fellow lawyer the advocate community in Thiruvanathapuram district has boycotted the court proceedings. Various Bar associations and Bar Council of Kerala has observed today as protest day.

Reacting to the attack on the advocate, a senior lady lawyer said,”we are considered as officers of the court, but it is unfortunate and worrying that the lawyers are assaulted in the vicinity of the court. This is not the first incident, or not going to be the last unless the culprits are apprehended and punished.”

Another senior advocate alleged, “the Police these days have no shame to be seen in the company of criminals. They often forget that Police is for enforcing law and not for backing law-barkers and criminals.”

In fact, there have been intelligence reports on the police-criminal nexus. In the wake of reports of an unholy nexus between the police and criminals, last year the state police had transferred 24 Station House Officers of various police stations.