A taste for law

VADODARA, July 29: In a case of bite following bark, an enraged woman advocate reportedly bit her rival on his hands in the court of labour judge R M Parikh, where the two were representing the rival parties in a dispute between the Baroda Electronics Company and its labourers on Thursday.

In a complaint lodged in the Karelibaug Police Station, advocate H M Pathan alleged that Sarlaben Krishna Kurup used unparliamentary language on him and bit him on the hands while the case was being argued. Her clients, the labourers, allegedly roughed him up in the packed court. In a cross-complaint lodged against Pathan, Sarlaben alleged that Pathan manhandled her and threatened her for arguing the case of her clients, who had not received their wages from the company for the last three months.

Though both the advocates had submitted written complaints to the judge levelling allegations against each other about the incident, the two later lodged police complaints as well.

Confirming the incident, PI S S Baranda said that cross FIRs had been registered and investigations started. No arrests have been made, he said.

Meanwhile, the Vadodara Bar Association has called for a two-day bandh from tomorrow to protest against the incident.