CUTTACK: The over two and a half months long lawyers’ strike, that had crippled justice delivery system across the State, finally came to an end on Wednesday after the matter was settled amicably in the Orissa High Court.
The Orissa High Court Bar Association announced the decision to withdraw the 78-day-long cease work agitation as a compromise was reached and the police personnel, accused of assaulting a lawyer in Cuttack, tendered unconditional apology in court.
The lawyers will join the courts from Thursday, Bar Association president Srikant Nayak said.Sources said in view of the situation turning critical, Orissa High Court Justice C R Das, who is monitoring the investigation of criminal cases involving police-lawyer tussle, had proposed a compromise formula to end the impasse.
The proposal was accepted by both the police and the lawyers’ body.All the four cops, havildar Prasanna Kumar Behera, constable Dillip Kumar Samal, OAPF constable Uday Kumar Bhuyan and home guard Kishore Jena, who were accused of assaulting advocate Devi Prasad Patnaik, appeared before the court of Justice Das and tendered their unconditional apology.
Orissa High Court Bar Association secretary Satya Brata Mohanty too expressed regret over an incident on October 29 in front of the High Court gate in which two constables were allegedly assaulted by some agitating lawyers. The bench of Justice Das has also suggested a guideline to avoid such disputes in future. “We are satisfied over settlement of the conflict amicably and hence calling off our cease-work agitation. Court work will be resumed from Thursday,” Nayak said.