BHUBANESWAR/SAMBALPUR: Taking strong action against the ongoing agitation over establishment of Orissa High Court bench at Sambalpur, the Bar Council of India (BCI) on Monday suspended practice licenses of 29 advocates for 18 months besides suspending all members of district bar association till further orders.
On a day, when the Supreme Court directed the state government and director general of police to take stringent action against those indulging in vandalism, the BCI said licenses of 29 advocates named in the November 30 FIR registered with Sambalpur Town police will be suspended for 18 months with immediate effect.
A press release issued by secretary BCI, Srimanto Sen stated that none of the members of the district bar shall be allowed to practice and enter the court premises. A final decision will be taken after getting report of the Ld Registrar as well as the State Bar Council.
The BCI also instructed the State Bar Council to furnish the details of the members of the Sambalpur district bar association and circulate the list to all the courts, forums, commissions and tribunals of the country so that the advocates may not appear during their period of suspension.
“The State Bar Council in its report to BCI has only stated about involvement of members of Sambalpur Bar Association. It is made clear that if the police or the State Bar Council informs about continuance of strike/boycott by any other bar association of the state, the BCI will take similar action against them also,” the press release said quoting the order.
Earlier in the day, tension ran high on the premises of Sambalpur district court as a scuffle broke out between police and agitators observing Satyagraha against the alleged anti-lawyer stand of the BCI and State Bar Council.
The Satyagraha was being observed following a state-wide call by the Odisha Lawyers Association and several social organisations and citizen group came forward to extend their support.
BCI suspends all members of Sambalpur Bar till further orders
When the agitators learnt that the judges and other judicial officers were functioning, they barged into the court complex after jostling with police and ransacked the court besides the chamber of the district judge. The agitators continued vandalising the court until police and lawyers made the way for the judicial officers to exit from court premises.
President of Sambalpur district bar association (SDBA) Sureswar Mishra condemned the incident and said it was an outcome of the lack of farsightedness of the district police. “The district bar association has been on a peaceful dharna demanding high court bench in Sambalpur since December 7. But since the All Odisha Lawyers Association had given a state-wide Satyagraha call, we also resorted to the same on Monday. Subsequently, locals who are in favour of the demand for establishment of a high court bench came to support. But police failed to manage the situation when they turned hostile,” he said.
As per the direction of the Supreme Court, it is the responsibility of the police to take proper measures for safety and security of judicial officers, Mishra added. Sambalpur SP B Gangadhar said during the agitation, prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPc was imposed on the court premises to check any untoward incident. “However, some people barged into the court premises. We have registered a case in Town PS and legal action will be taken against the violators,” he said.