CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has extended the date of hearing of all interim orders on bail, anticipatory bail, interim bail, parole and evictions to June 30 in view of the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic in the State.The court extended all interim orders after taking suo-motu cognisance of the prevailing situation on Thursday.
During the first wave of the pandemic, the court had passed a detailed order on May 5 last year in a PIL filed by Advocate BK Ragada, extending all interim orders. There were several interim orders passed subsequently extending that order. With the resumption of hybrid hearing in the court and the subordinate ones, the orders passed from time to time were discontinued by an order dated February 17, 2021.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice BP Routray said, “Now with the Supreme Court having taken suo-motu judicial notice of the resurgence of the Covid-19 pandemic all over the country, and with the position in Odisha being no different, this court considers it appropriate to revive the May 5, 2020 order”.
While restoring last year’s order, the bench said, “All interim orders/directions issued or protection granted including any order requiring any compliance by the parties to such proceedings, by this court or any court subordinate to it or any family court or labour court or any tribunal or any other judicial or quasi-judicial forum in the State of Odisha and those passed hereafter, unless a longer date is specified, shall stand extended till June 30, 2021”.
The orders of eviction, dispossession, demolition, etc passed by this Court or any court subordinate to it or any tribunal or judicial or quasi judicial forum, except those in relation to medical jurisdiction, shall remain in abeyance till June 30, 2021”, the order added.
“The State government or any of its department or any municipal corporation/council/board or any gram panchayat or other local body or any other agency and instrumentality of the State, except where it is a medical facility, in case lockdown prevails, shall not take any action for eviction, and demolition in respect of the property, over which any citizen or person or party or any body corporate has physical or symbolic possession as on today till June 30, 2021”, the order further said.
High Court summer vacation from May 3
Cuttack: The Orissa High Court on Friday preponed the summer vacation by three weeks in view of the unusual and alarming surge in the Covid -19 pandemic in the State. The summer break will start on May 3 and continue till June 6.