Maalakaraddy's residence stoned

By Our Staff Correspondent

GULBARGA, JULY 1. The 11-day-old agitation by members of the Gulbarga Bar Association demanding the establishment of a High Court Bench in Gulbarga took a violent turn on Saturday with the agitators attacking the residence of the Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr. A. B. Maalakaraddy.

The lawyers are sore with the six ministers and MLAs from the district for their alleged indifference to their demand. The lawyers, who have boycotted courts, are on a relay hunger strike for the past 11 days.

The agitating lawyers attacked the house of Dr. Maalakaraddy with stones after holding a demonstration. The glasspanes of a window were damaged.

The advocates decided to take out a procession to the minister's house which is within a stone's throw of the District Court Complex where they are on indefinite fast.

Nearly 200 advocates marched to Dr. Maalakaraddy's residence and shouted slogans against him for his inaction on their demand for setting up of a HC Bench in Gulbarga. They were critical of the minister for not registering his protest over the announcement of the Chief Minister and the Law Minister that the Bench would be established in Hubli.

The lawyers avoided the nursing home run by the minister's wife, who is a medical practitioner, and instead chose the adjacent building which is also owned by the minister to register their protest.

The stone throwing started as the advocates were returning after holding a 30-minute demonstration. One of the stones hit a window damaging the glass panes. If the crowd had chosen to hold the demonstration in front of the nursing home and indulged in stone throwing, the damage would have been greater.

A couple of policemen, who were present, were taken off guard by the turn of events and they remained passive spectators. No arrests have been made in this connection.

The advocates announced that they would hold similar demonstrations in front of the residences of the Public Works Minister, Mr. Dharam Singh, the Housing Minister, Mr. Qamar-ul- Islam, the Minister of State for Small Savings and Muzrai, Mr. Baburao Chinchansur, and the Minister of State for Social Welfare, Mr. Baburao Chavan, from Sunday in an attempt to force them to take a stand on the issue.Earlier, the striking advocates prevented the judicial officers and their ministerial staff from entering the court complex for the eighth consecutive day. The request of the judicial officers, led by the Principal District and Sessions Judge, Mr. D. Linga Reddy, and the Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr. Nandakumar Gunaki, to allow them to discharge their duties was turned down by the advocates.

The Bar Association president, Mr. Subash Konin, told the judicial officers that the advocates were firm on their decision not to allow them to enter the court complex and that they were ready to face any consequences, including arrest.

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