CUTTACK: The split in lawyers groups over the continuation of strike took an ugly turn on Monday when the agitating lawyers and members of the BJD Legal Front were engaged in a heated face-off in front of the Orissa High Court.
Lawyers owing allegiance to the BJD Legal Front, which had withdrawn support to the strike, tried to enter the court premises to attend the proceedings on Monday morning but they were fiercely resisted by the agitating lawyers. The confrontation between the two groups resulted in a clash at the High Court gate leaving several persons injured.
“At least six persons have been injured in the melee. Three separate cases have been registered in Lalbag police station in connection with the incident,” said DCP Akhilesvar Singh.
One of the injured, a 23-year-old youth Santosh Nimayi of Ranihat has been admitted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital. His condition is stated to be critical.
A day after the High Court Bar Association in its general body meeting on October 26 decided to burn the effigy of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in front of all the 164 bar associations across the State on October 31, BJD Legal Front had withdrawn their support from the cease-work agitation and announced to resume court work from Monday. Protesting this, hundreds of members of High Court Bar Association staged demonstration in front of the court gate and prevented the lawyers from entering.
On the other hand, the Orissa High Court on Monday conducted hearing on the case filed personally by Debi Prasad Patnaik, the advocate who has been at the centre of the prolonged agitation. He was allegedly assaulted by police on August 28 in connection with a road accident at Nuabazaar in Cuttack. While three police personnel have been suspended, the lawyers have been agitating demanding their arrest. Hearing the case, the single bench of Justice CR Das has directed for submission of the status report and posted the date for next hearing to November 26.