Crackdown On Agitating Lawyers: 14 Arrested For Vandalism On Court Premises In Odisha’s Sambalpur

Sambalpur: Police on Tuesday picked 2 more lawyers, taking the number of arrests in the alleged vandalism of the chamber of a district judge during Monday’s ‘ Satyagarh’ over the demand for the establishment of Orissa High Court bench in Odisha’s Sambalpur district, to 14.

This came a day after the Supreme Court rapped DGP Odisha and Sambalpur IG of Police for failing to handle lawyers’ strikes in the state, and Bar Council of India (BCI) suspended practice licence of 29 advocates for 18 months, besides suspending all members of the district bar association till further orders.

According to sources, nine among those arrested last night on basis of CCTV footage were sent to jail after a court rejected their bail petitions. “The arrests were made on the basis of three cases filed at Town Police station in connection with yesterday’s incident. More CCTV and video footage will be analysed and strong legal action will be taken against those violating the law,” Sambapur SP B Gangadhar told a local channel.

The lawyers are also accused of using unparliamentary words for Judges, manhandling police officers and obstructing court proceedings.

Section 144 of CrPC has been clamped at Kacheri Chhak, the protest site, to maintain law and order and action will be taken if anyone enters a 200 metres radius of the prohibited area, he added.

On Monday, a press release issued by BCI secretary Srimanto Sen stated that none of the members of the district bar shall be allowed to practice and enter the court premises and the licence of 29 advocates named in the November 30 FIR registered with Sambalpur Town police will be suspended for 18 months with immediate effect.

The 29 advocates are Sureswar Mishra, Shib Diwan, Pramod Saraf, Satyanarayan Purohit, Srikant Panigrahi, Himansu Panigrahi, Mahendra Badhei, Anup Taria, Silu Mohapatra, Satyanarayan Panda, Prabin Singhdeo, Rabi Pujhari, Suraj Biswal, Chandrakanta Mohanty, Nabin Satpathy, Saroj Sahu, Manoranjan Dash, Manas Mishra, Sameer Mohapatra, Bandita Mishra, Rajib Satpathy, Basanta Mishra, Minaketan Bhoi, Ratan Agarwal, Bijetendra Pradhan, Suranjini Barik, Pradeep Bohidar, Babul Panda and Manoranjan Panda.

“The State Bar Council in its report to BCI has only stated about involvement of members of Sambalpur Bar Association. It is made clear that if the police or the State Bar Council informs about continuance of strike/boycott by any other bar association of the state, the BCI will take similar action against them also,” the press release said quoting the order.

Earlier in November, the SC had expressed concern over the lawyers’ strike demanding establishment of a permanent High Court Bench in western Odisha. The court also served notices on the Bar Council of India and the Bar Council of Odisha in this regard.

The court had taken a serious view of the agitation after it came to know that court works have been affected due to lawyers’ stir in the state. The bench also slapped notice on different district bar associations asking them to make their stand on the issue.

The apex court’s order came following a petition filed by the Orissa High Court over loss of working hours due to non-participation of members of different bar associations of the state in court proceedings.