Tensions erupted at the Egmore Court campus on Friday as two groups of advocates clashed publicly, leading to a violent altercation that left several lawyers injured. The conflict, which broke out around 2 p.m., stemmed from a dispute over client representation in a pending Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal case.According to sources within the Egmore Court Advocates’ Association (ECAA), the clash began when one advocate, who was already representing a client seeking compensation for an accident, discovered that another advocate had filed a fresh vakalat to represent the same client. This overlap led to a heated argument between the two lawyers.
In an attempt to resolve the matter, one of the advocates invited the other, along with their respective groups, to discuss the issue on the court campus. However, the discussion quickly escalated into a physical confrontation, with both groups attacking each other with chairs. The altercation resulted in the breaking of several chairs and left at least four advocates injured. The injured lawyers sought medical attention independently.
A video of the clash soon went viral on social media, drawing widespread attention. Law enforcement, including a sub-inspector and a constable, intervened to pacify the situation. Following the incident, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate N. Kothandaraj directed police personnel to take action against those involved.
ECAA President S. Chandan Babu distanced the association from the conflict, stating, “Those who were involved in the clash are not from our Bar and Association. We learned that people from other courts came here to settle their dispute.”
ECAA Secretary Durai Kannan expressed his dismay, saying, “It is unfortunate and shameful that such an incident has happened on the campus. No such incident has occurred on our campus in the last nine years.”
Despite the severity of the clash, police sources reported that the injured lawyers have not filed any complaints and have switched off their phones, making further investigation challenging. The incident has raised concerns about security and professional conduct within the legal community at Egmore Court.