Hyderabad: Tension prevailed at the Ranga Reddy district court complex here on Friday as Telangana lawyers staged a noisy demonstration, seeking a halt on the recruitment of junior civil judges in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

The lawyers demanded immediate division of the Hyderabad High Court and creation of separate High Courts for the two states which came into existence after the bifurcation. They sat in front of the main gate, called for boycott of courts, and prevented judges and staff from entering the premises, deputy commissioner of police Tafseer Iqubal said. When the protesters did not relent, police took about 50 of them into preventive custody.

However, some lawyers barged into a courtroom and assaulted a lawyer who was arguing, he added. They also vandalised the court room. Police registered separate cases for demonstration and the assault, the DCP said. Some media reports said that protesters also threw eggs during the demonstration.

President of the Bar Association of Ranga Reddy District Courts K Raj Reddy however said no lawyer was assaulted, and the Association had already called for a boycott of courts. We only prevented that advocate from arguing, he said. Lawyers from Telangana have been agitating and boycotting the court to protest delay in establishment of a separate High Court since the beginning of this month.

Reddy said that Telangana government had filed a review petition in the Supreme Court to get a stay to Hyderabad High Court's notification to fill up 132 posts of junior judges. However, the SC yesterday refused to stay the process and the screening test of March 8. He claimed that Telangana had only 15 per cent representation in the judicial and non-judicial posts in High Court.