Lawyers’ agitation in Odisha capital; Police promise action within 48 hours

Reported by Santosh Jagdev
Bhubaneswar, July 21:

After an hour-long meeting between top police officials of the city and the office bearers of the Bhubaneswar Bar Association (BBA) at the latter’s office here, the twin city Commissioner of Police (CP) Dr R P Sharma has promised to identify the cops who launched a brutal assault on a city lawyer on Wednesday night within 48 hours and  take stringent action against them.

Talking to mediapersons, Dr Sharma said “A team of officials has been constituted to investigate the matter. The preliminary investigation which was started earlier will be completed in the next 48-hours.”

The CP further said the investigation will be conducted ina a clear, transparent manner and without any prejudice.

If the policemen accused of the atrocity are found to be guilty, stringent action will be taken against them, he added.

On the other hand, the BBA president Tushar Kanti Mohapatra said the lawyers, who are on a ceasework since Friday, will to continue with their agitation until the accused policemen are booked and forwarded to the court.

“We will continue our cease-work agitation until the police fulfil their commitment and find out those responsible and take stringent action against them within the 48-hour deadline,” Mohapatra added.

This afternoon, angry lawyers went berserk and blocked the road at the busy Kalpana Square in Odisha’s capital city protesting the inaction of police in arresting the accused, who had brutally attacked lawyer Nihar Ranjan Sethi and left him with grievous injuries.

Sethi, reportedly, was beaten black and blue by policemen while he was passing through Ravi Talkies square late on Wednesday night. They beat him up even after he told the cops that he was a practicing lawyer at the Bhubaneswar Bar.

The agitating lawyers said Sethi had been admitted to a hospital and that one of his testicles had to be removed as it was badly damaged in the attack. Police had allegedly kicked Sethi in his scrotum apart from thrashing him with lathis.