Telangana lawyers continue protest over appointment of Andhra judges

Hyderabad: Lawyers in Telangana continued their protest for the seventh day on Monday against the appointment of judicial officers from Andhra Pradesh and to demand bifurcation of the unified High Court.They boycotted courts in Hyderabad and nine other districts of Telangana and staged demonstrations outside the court premises.The Telangana High Court Advocates Association is demanding that the provisional allotment of about 130 judges who are natives of Andhra Pradesh to subordinate courts in Telangana be recalled.The lawyers locked the courts at Nizamabad and Warangal in support of their demand. The protesters also demanded immediate bifurcation of the unified High Court.[caption id="attachment_2832370" align="alignleft" width="380"] Hyderabad High Court.[/caption]Meanwhile, the judicial employees decided to intensify the protest by going on strike from 1 July. They served the strike notice on the Hyderabad High Court registrar.The Hyderabad High Court turned into a fortress as police threw a thick security blanket around the premises and imposed ban orders in view of the "Chalo High Court" programme of the advocates association, the joint action committee of Telangana lawyers and federation of bar associations.Police erected barricades on roads leading to the High Court and allowed in only those lawyers whose cases were to come up for hearing on Monday.Hyderabad Police Commissioner Mahender Reddy said no permission was given for "Chalo High Court".Police orders banning processions were put in force around the High Court to foil any protest.The list of provisional allotment of judges to lower courts issued on May 5 contained 335 judicial officers who were allotted to Telangana and 495 to Andhra Pradesh as part of the bifurcation of the lower judiciary. The association said about 130 officers of Andhra nativity were allotted to Telangana after they exercised the option.