Judicial activities across Odisha were affected today as lawyers abstained from judicial and administrative courts, including the High Court, following a call given by the Orissa High Court Bar Association. The apex body of lawyers in the state had on Thursday appealed to their fraternity to stay away from court work till Monday in protest against what they called ‘inept handling of Sambalpur issue by the state government,’ among other things.
The police had yesterday arrested 18 lawyers in Sambalpur basing on the FIR filed by the district collector Mrilanini Darswal who was allegedly manhandled by advocates. “According to reports reaching here, lawyers across the did not attend any of the judicial or administrative courts on the day,” said the High Court Bar Association Secretary Piyush Mishra. Courts will remain closed for the next two days on account of Lawyers? Day and Sunday and the next course of action would be decided on Monday morning after evaluating the report of the fact-finding team of lawyers currently visiting Sambalpur, Mishra said.
Meanwhile, a seven-member-fact-finding team headed by High Court Bar Association president Jayant Das and members of State Bar Council and All Odisha Lawyers? Forum here went to Sambalpur on the day and held discussions with all stakeholders over the Monday?s incident involving lawyers and the district collector. The decision to send the fact-finding team was taken by a joint meeting of the three lawyers? bodies after forming a joint coordination committee on Thursday.
