Police taking some of the accused to the jail after presenting them in a court, in Chennai on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: R. Ragu more-in The Madras High Court Advocates Association (MHAA) president G. Mohanakrishnan on Tuesday claimed that a section of advocates gathered near the mahila court premises here and decided that no member of the association would appear before any court on behalf of the 17 people accused of having raped an 11-year-old girl over six months at Ayanavaram here. Though no formal resolution was passed by the association, it was an impromptu decision taken on the spot when the accused were produced by the police before the mahila court for remanding them to judicial custody, he said. According to him, the act committed by the accused was unpardonable and therefore members of his association would not want to extend legal assistance. When asked how a bar association could prevent lawyers from accepting a brief, Mr. Mohanakrishnan said it could be done. “It is not as if the accused would go unrepresented before the courts of law. If no lawyer appears for an accused, the court would appoint a legal aid counsel. Even in such a case, our association will object to grant of any relief to the accused,” Mr. Mohanakrishnan said.

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