The Karnataka High Court has initiated suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) following the murders of two advocates and an attempt to murder a senior advocate in the State. The Court took cognizance of concerns raised by the Advocates' Association, Bengaluru, and the Karnataka State Bar Council regarding the safety of legal professionals, alleged police interference in civil disputes and the need to strengthen the existing Advocates Protection Act.
A Division Bench comprising Justice D K Singh and Justice H. Shanthi Bhushan passed the order on November 3, 2026, directing the Registry to register a suo motu PIL to examine these issues.
Background
The proceedings were initiated after representatives of the legal fraternity brought several incidents of violence against advocates to the Court's attention. The representation referred to the murder of advocate Sriram V. on October 9, 2026, the murder of advocate Manjunath on October 18, 2026, and an attempt to murder Senior Advocate Venkataramanappa Sannakki of Gauribidanur on October 28, 2026.
The Advocates' Association had also passed a resolution on October 29, calling for stronger legal protection, effective investigations and a uniform procedure governing police conduct towards advocates. Lawyers across Karnataka abstained from judicial work on November 3 in support of these demands.
The High Court emphasised that advocates play an important role in the administration of justice and must be able to perform their professional responsibilities without fear or intimidation.
The Bench observed:
"An Advocate must be able to represent the cause of his client fearlessly, without apprehension of physical harm, threat or intimidation. An attack upon an Advocate, particularly one resulting in the loss of life, cannot be viewed as an isolated incident, since it also affects the independence of the Bar and the administration of justice."
The Court also expressed concern over allegations that police stations were functioning as unofficial forums for resolving civil disputes involving property, possession and contractual obligations. It clarified that police authorities must operate within their statutory powers and cannot assume the role of courts.
On the need for accountability, the Bench observed:
"Repeated instructions cannot remain confined to paper. There must be proper supervision to ensure that such instructions are implemented and that appropriate action is taken against officers who violate them."
The Court further stressed the need for a separate Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to ensure respectful treatment of advocates approaching police stations and an effective mechanism for examining complaints against police personnel.
The High Court directed the Karnataka Government and senior police authorities to place existing SOPs and instructions before the Court, along with details of their implementation and proposed measures to strengthen statutory protection for advocates.
The police authorities were also directed to submit consolidated, case-wise investigation details concerning every reported murder of an advocate in Karnataka, including FIRs, arrests, evidence collected, charge sheets and the present status of investigations.
The State Government was asked to examine the necessity of strengthening the Advocates Protection Act and place its response before the Court.
The High Court directed the Registry to register a suo motu PIL and issued notice to the respondents, returnable on December 8, 2026. Advocate General K. Shashi Kiran Shetty was requested to submit a status report on the investigations into the reported incidents.
The matter was directed to be listed before the appropriate Bench after obtaining necessary orders from the Chief Justice.
