Thiruvananthapuram: Police have have registered an FIR against the 12 lawyers who allegedly threatened and blocked a woman magistrate at the Vanchiyoor court in Thiruvananthapuram district here recently for cancelling the bail of an accused.

"You've been spared because you are a woman. If not, we would have dragged you out," the lawyers allegedly said before confining the magistrate to her chambers, the FIR stated.

The FIR has been registered under non-bailable charges against Bar Association leaders Adv KP Jayachandran, Pachalloor Jayakrishnan and 10 other lawyers.

Bar Association President KP Jayachandran is the first accused in the case and Secretary Pachalloor Jayakrishnan is the second accused. Jayachandran was the first to threaten the magistrate in her chamber.

"We know how to challenge the order. We just need to know if you're willing to revise your order or not.”

“These lawyers have an experience of more than 40 years. Are you trying to intimidate them? You should first study law. If you weren't a woman, we'd have dragged you out and kicked you,” Jayachandran allegedly stated.

“We'd like to see you leave this room,” said the accused before closing the door behind him according to the police complaint.

The incident occurred on Wednesday when Thiruvananthapuram Judicial First Class Magistrate Deepa Mohan cancelled the bail of Raghukumar, a driver of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation after a witness complained of threats by the driver.

In 2015, Raghukumar had injured a passenger Lathakumari while applying brakes to the bus driven by him. The magistrate cancelled Raghukumar's bail after Lathakumari complained that he had threatened her.

Incensed by her decision, a group of lawyers expressed their anger after Mohan returned to her chamber. They allegedly attempted to lock her up in her chambers and hinder her work.

The district sessions court later granted him bail.

A case has been registered under IPC sections 143, 147, 149, 506, 342 and 353.

Judicial Asssociation seeks intervention

The action against the lawyers ensued after Deepa Mohan filed a written complaint with the Chief Judicial Magistrate on the "unruly" behaviour of some lawyers and it was forwarded to the police.

Following the incident, the state Judicial Officers Association approached the Kerala High court seeking its immediate intervention and ensure a free and fearless atmosphere for their functioning.

A case has been registered against 12 lawyers, including the president and secretary of the Trivandrum Bar Association on various charges including assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging duty, on a complaint from the magistrate, a police official said on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Judicial Officers' Association has filed a complaint before the Registrar General of the Kerala High court on the incident.

It said the magistrate was "humiliated" by some members of the Thiruvananthapuram Bar Association, amounting to wrongful confinement, criminal intimidation and obstruction to discharge official duty.

In a representation sent to the Registrar General on Thursday, association president K Byju Nath, district Judge, MACT, Kalpeta, vice president VPM Suresh Baby, Chief Judicial Magistrate, Thrissur and Secretary, M Vinitha, JFCM, Ernakulam, sought the high court's immediate intervention to "ensure an atmosphere to the judicial officers to function in a free, fearless and independent manner."

"We express our protest and anguish against wrongdoers and expect appropriate action from the Honourable High court of Kerala to safeguard the independence of the members of the Subordinate Judiciary.

The subordinate judiciary in Kerala is known to be the best in the country so far as the integrity and efficiency of the judicial officers are concerned....," the representation said.

The incident tends to "lower the morale and reputation" of the members of subordinate judiciary and the "unprecedented and violent activities" adopted by the bar adversly affects all the stakeholders, it said.

Bar Association dismisses allegations

The Thiruvananthapuram Bar Association has, however, dismissed the allegations, saying the members had gone to meet the magistrate to hold talks following a member's complaint and they had not locked the room or threatened her as was being alleged.

The Thiruvananthapuram Bar Association is observing a district wide boycott of courts on Friday in protest against the complaint against its members.

Functioning of around 50 courts in Thiruvananthaopuram district was affected following the boycott.