The Vanchiyoor court complex. TV grab/File photoThiruvananthapuram: The Vanchiyoor police Tuesday arrested five lawyers, including the Bar Association secretary, for allegedly manhandling journalists at a vigilance court in Vanchiyoor recently.
The lawyers were arrested in the evening and were granted bail later.
The arrested were Bar Association secretary Aanayara Shaji, R. Rathin, Arun P. Nair, Subhash and Rahul.
Out of the 5, Rathin and Arun were held for attacking women journalists. Manorama News reporter Justeena Thomas and Asianet News reporter P.R. Praveena had filed a complaint against the lawyers at the police station.
A case was recently registered against 10 lawyers, including the above five, who assaulted journalists at the court.
The case was registered on a complaint filed by Prabhath, a correspondent with the The New Indian Express.
The lawyers allegedly manhandled and threatened journalists who went to the court last Friday to cover hearing of a case against former industries minister E.P. Jayarajan in the presence of judge and police personnel.
The lawyers dragged Prabhath and PTI correspondent J. Ramakrishnan out of the court room. They also threatened women journalists of dire consequences if they stayed back in the court room.
The lawyers also pelted stones and bricks at OB vans of Asianet News and Manorama News, and damaged the board of the media room in the court complex.
It is alleged that the police stood mute witnesses to the commotion. The incident happened despite repeated assurance from authorities concerned, including chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan that there was no bar on journalists from covering court proceedings in the state.
