Chennai clash: HC orders CBI probe, ruckus in House

The High Court has ordered a CBI inquiry into the violence at the Madras High Court on Thursday. The government of Tamil Nadu has consented to the inquiry.

Three committees are to be formed by the Chief Justice, comprising the Registrar General, two Registrars and lawyers.

Committees are to videograph the campus and assess damage to property. Nearly a 100 people were injured in the violence at the court, including a judge, lawyers, policemen and TV journalists.

A police station in court was also burnt down.

The clashes began on Thursday afternoon, as pro LTTE lawyers demanded the release of their colleagues who were assaulting the Janata Party president Subrahmanyam Swamy on Tuesday. No one knows who drew first blood, as both sides blame each other.

PTI adds:

The entire opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly was on Friday evicted en masse following uproar over the lawyer-police clash in the Madras High Court.

Speaker R Avudiyappan ordered the eviction of members of AIADMK, MDMK, CPI and CPM as they demanded a debate on Thursday's violent clash after Law Minister Durai Murugan made a statement under Rule 110, which makes no provision for a discussion.