OAT lawyers clash with police during protest rally in Capital

Odisha Sun Times Bureau

Bhubaneswar, Dec 14:

Tension soared after the protesters clashed with police, which retaliated with lathicharge, while trying to break barricades in Bhubaneswar during a protest rally against abolition of Odisha Administrative Tribunal (OAT) in the state.

The members of Odisha Administrative Tribunal from Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, supported by the State Bar council took out a protest rally, today in the capital, they were demanding the reinstatement of the Bar councils in the state. The lawyers have taken to the streets after the 15-day deadline to the government to revoke the decision passed without any action by the government.

The protestors have alleged being beaten up by the police.

“Even after repeated requests, no one listened to us. The Bar council chief gave a memorandum to the chief minister but to no avail. We asked for a meeting with the chief minister but it did not happen. We have been forced to take a protest march but the police is beating us”, said a senior advocate, who was injured in the lathicharge.

Notably, the state cabinet on September 9 approved a decision to abolish the SAT on the ground that the Tribunal set up in 1986 has not been able to achieve its desired goal. With its principal bench at Bhubaneswar, the tribunal was functioning from its permanent and regular bench here at Cuttack and circuit benches at Sambalpur and Berhampur.