Sambalpur: 17 lawyers arrested for ‘vandalising’ district Judge's chamber

Sambalpur: In a raid on agitating attorneys, police arrested at least 17 lawyers for allegedly vandalizing a district judge's chamber during Monday's'Satyagarh' protest for the establishment of a High Court bench in Odisha's Sambalpur district.

The police action came after the Supreme Court on Monday chastised the DGP of Odisha and the IG of Police in Sambalpur for failing to handle the state's attorneys' strike.

Based on CCTV footage from Monday's event, the arrests have been made in stages since Monday night, and the total number of lawyers detained has risen to 17, according to Sambapur SP B Gangadhar.

In another incident, the Bar Council of India (BCI) has suspended 29 advocates' practice licenses for 18 months, in addition to suspending all members of the district bar association until further instructions.

The agitating lawyers, unfazed by the police crackdown, said the demonstration would continue and the vandalism on Monday resulted from police excesses.

"Our demonstration is still going on and will continue." "Last night's vandalism was the result of police excesses," claimed Pradeep Bohidar, Chairman of the Action Committee of the Sambalpur District Bar Association.

In response to the suspension of licenses by the BCI, he stated that our licenses were issued by the Odisha Bar Council, not the Bar Council of India.

"With people's support, we will intensify our agitation." We will not accept the BCI order unless the State Bar Council issues a directive in this regard. "We are prepared to fight any legal battle," he continued.

"The arrests were made based on three cases filed at the Town Police Station in connection with the event yesterday." More CCTV and video evidence will be analyzed, and those who break the law will face harsh legal consequences," the SP told a local news outlet.

To ensure law and order, Section 144 of the CrPC has been imposed at Kacheri Chhak, the protest site, and action will be taken if anyone enters a 200-metre radius of the forbidden area, he said.

Security was also increased in the region, with 21 police platoons deployed to prevent any unexpected incidents.

Lawyers in the western Odisha city have been protesting for the establishment of a permanent bench of the Orissa High Court in Sambalpur.

Earlier in November, the Supreme Court voiced concern over the attorneys' strike, calling for forming a permanent High Court Bench in western Odisha. In this regard, the court also served notices on the Bar Council of India and the Bar Council of Odisha.

The court took the agitation seriously after learning that court operations had been hampered by the lawyers' strike in the state. The bench also issued notices to various district bar associations, requesting that they take a position on the subject.

The order came in response to a petition filed by the Orissa High Court regarding lost working hours as a result of members of the state's various bar organisations failing to participate in court sessions.