Chikkamagaluru: The District Bar Association staged a stir outside the court premises in Chikkamagaluru on Friday alleging Superintendent of Police Annamalai of barging into the office of an advocate and taking into custody some of the relatives of the accused in New Year hunting case reported from Tarikere.
However, in his clarification, SP Annamalai has said that no rules were violated by the police.
It is said that on Thursday evening relatives of some of the accused in Tarikere hunting case had come to an advocate’s office on Vijayapura main road with regard to filing bail plea.
The advocates had alleged that at this point of time, SP Annamalai and his people had barged into Advocate Tejaswi’s office and took the relatives into custody. The lawyers were of the opinion that the relatives of accused being taken into custody without following any procedure is against the law.
While condemning the lawyers for boycotting the court proceedings, SP Annamalai said that the traffic police had passed on the information that a vehicle used for executing the crime at Tarikere was being used by the relatives of the accused in the said case. Since it was confirmed that the vehicle was near Advocate Tejaswi’s office, the police team reached the spot.
“When I led the team and spotted the vehicle, two who were inside the vehicle fled the scene. We confiscated the vehicle and nabbed two others who were inside the vehicle. I did not enter the office of the lawyer. I, in fact spoke to him outside his office,” said the SP.
It may be recalled 11 persons were arrested from Kanigebail Bhadra Reserve Forest area on January 1 for hunting down stags. Prime accused Rafiq Ahmed is absconding.
