Odisha HC lawyers cease work to protest Panda’s arrest

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Cuttack, Jul 5:

Protesting against the manner in which senior lawyer Debasish Panda was arrested by the CBI in the Odisha capital on Monday for his alleged complicity in the Artha Tatwa (AT) Group chit fund scam, lawyers in the High Court today resorted to cease work on a call given by Orissa High Court Bar Association.

The lawyers have decided to continue with their cease work up to July 8. The decision to resort to cease work was taken at the general body meeting of the Association held here today. The Association has requested all bar associations of the state to observe July 8 as ‘protest day’.  Bar associations of all subordinate courts abstained from work in support of the cease work call given by the Association. In the process work has come to a complete halt in all courts in the Cuttack.

“We are on cease work up to July 8 in protest against the manner in which lawyer Debasish Panda was arrested and his house was raided by CBI. We will be again holding our general body meeting at 2 PM on July 8 to decide on the future course of action. We have requested all bar associations of the state to observe July 8 as ‘protest day,” said Bijay Kumar Ragad, secretary Orissa High Court Bar Association speaking to reporters after the general body meeting.

“Lawyer Debasish Panda was fully cooperating with the CBI. Whenever he has been summoned by the CBI he has attended summons. He was arrested after being summoned by the CBI yesterday. When we lawyers had gone to meet him we were not allowed to do so. He wasn’t even allowed to take rest in the night,” Ragad added.

Notably, Panda was arrested by the CBI on Monday after he was interrogated by the investigating agency for alleged complicity in the AT Group chit fund scam.

The arrest came after AT Group chief Pradip Sethy was grilled by the CBI in Jharpada Special Jail here, earlier in the day.

Earlier, the CBI had submitted that Panda’s name had figured in the documents seized during raids at the residence of Crime Branch DSP Pramod Panda indicating his complicity in the AT scam.

The Central investigating wing had claimed that the seized documents showed Panda’s links with Pradeep Seth