CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Tuesday ordered a Crime Branch (CB) probe into the recent assault on a lawyer by police personnel here.
The incident has sparked outrage among lawyers across the State with several bar associations resorting to cease work agitation. The court’s order came in response to a petition filed by Nationalist Lawyers Forum demanding a judicial probe either by a sitting or former HC judge and the arrest of police personnel involved in the incident.
A division bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice KS Jhaveri and Justice KR Mohapatra passed the order directing a probe by the Crime Branch into the incident while posting the next date of hearing on the case to September 10.
As per the direction, a DSP rank officer of the Crime Branch will probe the incident, informed the petitioner’s counsel Prasanna Kumar Padhi, adding that the forum would soon file a rejoinder in the court.
Cuttack DCP Akhileswar Singh, acting on a court directive earlier, had filed an affidavit mentioning details of the incident and the progress of investigation being conducted by the police into the case.
Notably, on August 28, advocate Debi Prasad Patnaik had an argument with some cops in connection with a road accident at Nuabazar overbridge square following which he was allegedly thrashed by the police personnel. The incident had prompted the High Court Bar Association to cease work. The association stated that the strike work will continue till all those involved in the assault are arrested.