Odisha HC Bar Expels Three Lawyers Of BJD Legal Front

Cuttack: The rift between the striking lawyers and the Odisha government widened further as three senior lawyers of the BJD Legal Front were expelled as members of the Orissa High Court Bar Association. The HC Bar Association unanimously took the decision at its executive body and general body meetings in the afternoon.

Talking to mediapersons after the meeting, secretary of the HC Bar Association, Satyabrata Mohanty said the Association expelled the three lawyers—convener Milan Kanungo, adviser Asim Amitabh Das and former vice-president of the HC Bar Association Bansidhar Satpathy—of the BJD Legal Front who had tried to effect a split among the lawyers and foil their ongoing agitation. He also said that the HC Bar also served a show cause notice to the Odisha State Bar Council chairperson Tahali Charan Mohanty to furnish a reply as to why he should not be expelled as a member of the HC Bar Association.

Asked about the decision taken at the meeting about its next course of action, Mohanty said since the High Court has directed the police to complete the investigation into the attack on the lawyer by the police on November 9, he said the meeting decided to continue its agitation till such period.