The ongoing ‘cease-work’ protest organised by the Odisha High Court Bar Association took an ugly turn on Monday, 29 October, as protesting members clashed with a group of lawyers belonging to the BJD Legal Front, outside the high court.
The BJD Legal Front members were prevented by the High Court Bar Association members from entering the high court premises, leading to a scuffle between the two groups.
This comes after the Front had withdrawn its support to the protest on 27 October.
The Front had withdrawn its support after the Bar Association lawyers had announced that they would burn effigies of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik across the state, if their demands were not met by 30 October.
Two Month Long ‘Cease-Work’ Protest
On 28 August, lawyer Debi Prasanna Pattnaik was allegedly beaten up by three policemen in Nuabazar area of Cuttack. The next day, lawyers from the Odisha HC Bar Association held a protest and gheraoed the office of the Regional Divisional Commissioner, demanding the arrest of the concerned policemen.
The Bar Association, on 30 August, gave a ‘cease-work’ protest call to lawyers across the state, demanding the arrest of the policemen involved.
Following the violent protest by the lawyers, Cuttack DCP Akhileswar Singh had suspended two constables and one havildar for their alleged involvement in the incident.
Protest Going on Despite SC Order
A three-judge bench headed by former Chief Justice Dipak Misra had ordered the Odisha HC Bar Association member lawyers to ‘resume court work’, while hearing a petition filed by journalist Abhijit Iyer Mitra, on 26 September.
Mitra, who was facing an arrest by Odisha police due to his alleged derogatory remarks against the people of Odisha, had pleaded that due to the strike he was not able to move the Odisha HC.
Even after the SC order, the lawyers burnt effigies of Misra and Chief Justice of Odisha KS Jhaveri on 29 September.
The lawyers continued the protest, defying the SC order as they were ‘not given an opportunity to be heard.’
Major Developments
- 28 August - Lawyer Debi Prasann Patnaik was beaten up by three policemen in Cuttack
- 29 August - Odisha HC lawyers protest outside Collectorate and RDC offices, torch police vehicles
- 30 August - HC Bar Association gives ‘cease-work’ protest call across the state
- 24 September - Crime Branch arrests two policemen; they were released on bail
- 26 September - SC passes an order asking lawyers to resume work
- 29 September - Lawyers burn effigy of CJI, continue protest defying SC order
- 27 October - Orissa High Court instructs all district courts to hold camp courts in jails
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