HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER M RAVI GETS INTO SCUFFLE
Submitted by farhan on Sat, 25/01/2014 - 5:30pm
25 Jan 2014
C. Vijayan
POLICE were called to People's Park Centre yesterday morning after a dispute broke out between two lawyers on the opposite sides of an ongoing High Court case.
A police spokesman, when contacted, said that both lawyers, Mr M. Ravi and Mr Joseph Chen, were advised accordingly and "no further assistance was required".
The dispute occurred on the fourth floor along the corridor outside Mr Chen's office at about 10.50am.
Mr Ravi claimed he was on his way to another lawyer's office on the same floor to collect some documents when Mr Chen came out of his office and abused him.
"He pushed me and I in self-defence pushed him away. I had two clients with me as witnesses."
Mr Chen however claimed that it was Mr Ravi who started the altercation.
He believes Mr Ravi was unhappy that he had not responded to a letter in relation to the ongoing civil suit.
He claimed Mr Ravi shouted at him and as he tried to use his mobile phone to record the conversation, a scuffle broke out.
Mr Chen, 42, then fled into the same lawyer's office where Mr Ravi said he was headed for, and called the police.
Mr Ravi, 44, whose office is on the fifth floor of the same building, said he also called the police.
It is understood bits of the verbal exchange, which included vulgar language, were recorded by Mr Chen, who bruised his left arm and had a slight cut on the left hand.
He said he was treated at a clinic nearby, adding that he was referred to the Singapore General Hospital to check for shock and breathlessness.
At press time, he was still waiting to be discharged.
Lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam, acting for Mr Ravi, said last night: "Two independent witnesses have given statements to the police refuting what Mr Chen is saying."
A police spokesman said: "We are looking into the matter."