The Karnataka High Court on Thursday directed the Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner to provide police protection to advocates who want to represent the three Kashmiri students arrested on the charges of sedition for allegedly raising pro-Pakistan slogans.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Hemant Chandangoudar passed the interim order on a PIL petition filed by a group of Bengaluru-based advocates, led by B.T. Venkatesh.

It was pointed out in the petition that no lawyer could represent the three accused students when they were produced before the magistrate in view of a resolution passed by Hubballi Bar Association asking its members not to represent the the accused students for their anti-national conduct.

All the petitioner-advocates filed affidavits before the High Court stating that they are prepared to represent the accused students but expressed need for protection in view violence reported in the magistrate court premises in Hubballi when the accused were produced.

The Court said that unable to avail service of a lawyer would violate constitutional rights of the accused students.

Indicating that the resolution passed by the bar association ex-facie contrary to the law laid down by the apex court, the Bench said the police should give protection even to advocates from Hubballi Bar Association if they choses to represent the accused students.

The three accused students, Basit Ashiq Sofi, Talib Majeed and Aamir Mohiuddin Wani, who were studying in an engineering college were remanded to judicial custody till March 2 on their arrest after the video of they raising pro-Pakistan slogans went viral on social media.