Bar Council of India seeks SC’s intervention over Lawyers’ strike in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The Bar Council of India today has shot off a letter to the Supreme Court (SC) seeking its intervention to resolve grievances of agitating lawyers in Cuttack.

In a letter, Bar Council of India Chairman Manan Mishra urged Chief Justice of India and other Companion Judges of the SC to direct Odisha Government to take immediate steps for redressal of the lawyers’ grievances. Mishra also alleged that the State Government as well as the Judiciary have turned deaf ears to the genuine demands of the lawyers.

“The strike is going on for the last one month. But no one sitting in the Judiciary has taken any step for redressal of lawyers’ grievances. On the other hand, the Odisha government is adamant not to take an action against the erring police officials,” the letter read.

The council also requested to constitute a high-level committee to be headed by a sitting or former High Court Judge, Chairman of the State Bar Council, Member-Representative of Bar Council of India from the State Bar Council of Odisha, President of High Court Bar Association, Cuttack, two Senior Advocates and the Home Secretary of the State of Odisha to find out the truth and submit a report in three days. After submission of the report, action might be taken against erring police officials, the letter added.

Meanwhile, the agitating lawyers staged a demonstration in front of Orissa High Court by wearing black badges demanding arrest of accused involved in attack on a lawyer in Cuttack on August 28. On Friday, lawyers of the Orissa High Court locked up the main gate of the Orissa High Court protesting the ‘police excess’.

It may be mentioned here that the police- lawyers spat began after lawyer Debi Prasanna Pattnaik was allegedly beaten up by police personnel in public near Nuabazar bridge in Cuttack on August 28.