CUTTACK: Odisha High Court (HC) on Wednesday sought a report from the State Counsel on the situation of functioning of courts and Government offices in Western Odisha districts which are observing bandh over demand of a permanent bench of the court.
Acting on a PIL filed by advocate Shivsankar Mohanty, a division bench comprising Chief Justice KS Jhaveri and Justice KR Mohapatra has directed the State Counsel to inform the HC about the situation of the courts in the districts where people are agitating for the last few days.
Mohanty had appealed for a direction to take effective and preventive steps so that lawyers or others cannot prevent functioning of courts and offices of the State and Central Governments in Western Odisha districts.
The petitioner stated that the members of Sambalpur District Bar Association have resorted to cease-work since September 5 demanding a permanent bench of the Orissa HC in western region of the State.
Referring to media reports, he mentioned in the petition that the lawyers of Sambalpur had prevented the District Judge and other judicial officers from attending the court. People are suffering a lot as the agitators have also paralysed the revenue courts in the district.
“As per the decision of the Western Odisha Advocate Association and Central Action Committee, all Government offices located in Sambalpur, Burla and Hirakud were not allowed to function from November 19 to 30. I had prayed before the court to take effective and preventive steps so that lawyers or other picketers cannot prevent functioning of the courts and offices for justice and larger public interest,” the petitioner said.
Minister’s son gets bail
Cuttack: The Orissa High Court on Wednesday granted bail to Debashis Patra and his four associates who were arrested for attacking police and rescuing an accused. Debashis is the son of School and Mass Education Minister Badri Narayan Patra. The four others are Akhay Sahu, Ajay Sahu, Asish Behera and Niranjan Sahu. Hearing on the plea for availing regular bail, the single bench of the High Court comprising justice Deba Brata Dash granted the conditional bail with ruling that the lower court would decide on further condition while releasing the accused persons on bail. The HC also directed the accused persons to present themselves personally before the police station concerned in an interval of 15 days each. As per the allegation, Debashis and his associates had attacked police officials near Padana Chhak when police had gone to arrest a few persons in connection with a group clash between BJD workers and Sana Sena activists. Keonjar police had arrested them on September 18. Subsequently, two more cases were registered against Patra in Ghasipura and Ramachandrapur police stations. After the bail petition of the arrested accused persons were rejected by Keonjhar District and Sessions Judge, they had moved the High Court.