CUTTACK: A petitioner who had moved the Orissa High Court for a direction for the introduction of a protection law for lawyers was on Monday asked to approach the State Government for it. The Court issued the direction on a PIL filed by Advocate Sibanarayan Biswal. While disposing of the petition, the division bench of Chief Justice KS Jhaveri and Justice KR Mohapatra directed Biswal to submit his representation to the State Law Secretary for appropriate action.
The petition had cited Advocates Protection Act-2019 enacted by the Madhya Pradesh Government to protect lawyers from physical assault. The Act provided for stricter punishment for threats or attacks on lawyers while discharging their duties.
The petitioner had also cited the interim judgment passed by Justice CR Dash in the police-lawyer scuffle case in which a High Court lawyer was beaten up. The incident had led to cease work by lawyers of High Court that was called of after 78 days following the interim order in November last year.
The Court directed the petitioner to submit the representation along with the interim order in which Justice CR Dash had directed the State Government to constitute a committee to submit a report suggesting ways, means and modalities for checking recurrence of such incidents in future.
10-yr RI for man held with opium
Cuttack: A 59-year-old man was sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment (RI) and fined `one lakh on Monday after a trial court in Cuttack found him guilty under Section 15 (C) of Narcotics, Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. First Additional Sessions Judge, Cuttack Bijaya Kumar Patra meted out the sentence after allowing the prosecution’s appeal, led by Special Public Prosecutor Benudhar Bastia against the accused Amareswar Das. According to the case records, Amareswar Das was nabbed by the Excise flying squad from near Cuttack Railway Station after he was found with 57 kg of opium seed pods in his possession on November 22, 2017. He had since been in custody.