Telangana lawyers take to streets over killing of advocate couple

 Telangana | Written by : IANS Updated: Thu, Feb 18, 2021, 02:50 PM

Hyderabad, Feb 18 (IANS) Lawyers in Telangana High Court and several other courts in the state on Thursday boycotted the court to protest against the brutal killings of an advocate couple in state's Peddapali district.

On a call given by Telangana Bar Associations, advocates boycotted the courts, staged protest demonstrations and took out rallies.

Work in courts came to a standstill as advocates stayed away from duties and joined the protests, demanding strong action against the killers and special measures for their protection.

Protest by lawyers led to traffic jam on L.B. Nagar-Dilsukhnagar road. A group of protestors also tried to march towards Raj Bhavan but were detained by police.

In a horrific crime caught on camera, an advocate couple practicing law in the Telangana High Court was brutally murdered in broad daylight by unidentified persons in Peddapalli district on Wednesday.

Gattu Vamana Rao and his wife Gattu Nagamani, who were returning in a car to Hyderabad after appearing for a case in a local court at Manthani, were waylaid and stabbed indiscriminately by unidentified persons, who came in a SUV, near Kalwacheral in Ramagiri mandal.

Videos which went viral on social media show Vamana Rao, 53, and his wife Nagamani, 50, being indiscriminately stabbed by two persons on the road. The couple died at a hospital.

Advocates practicing at Nampally, Secunderabad, Kukatpally and Ranga Reddy district courts staged protests, demanding immediate and stringent punishment to the culprits. Addressing protestors, leaders of Bar Associations said the government should take serious view of the incident and bring the assailants to book.

"Our struggle will continue till the killers are hanged to death," a protesting advocate at High Court said.

The protestors also demanded that no advocate should appear in the court on behalf of the accused.

The couple was arguing some controversial cases including a disproportionate assets case they had filed against Zilla Parishad Chairman Putta Madhukar.

They had also filed Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the alleged lockup death of a Dalit in Manthani police station. They had also sought protection alleging threatening calls from police.

Bar Council of Telangana strongly condemned the brutal murder of the advocates. It demanded the police to probe the murders and arrest the culprits.

It said the country is witnessing frequent attacks on advocates and that no person can take law into hands and that the matter shall be dealt with as per the law.

The Bar Council demanded the government to enact Advocates Protection Act to safeguard the advocate community, who discharge their duties to protect the rights of the citizens.