SAMBALPUR : A day after the Supreme Court adopted a tough stance and Bar Council of India (BCI) cracked the whip on striking lawyers, the Central Action Committee of All Bar Associations of Western Odisha on Tuesday suspended its ongoing agitation demanding establishment of Orissa High Court’s permanent bench in Sambalpur.
Earlier in the day, police arrested 17 lawyers of Sambalpur district bar association for their alleged involvement in the vandalism in district court complex. The Central Action Committee passed a resolution during the evening and announced suspension of the agitation. “Keeping in view the decision of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, the Central Action Committee of All Bar Associations of Western Odisha decided to suspend the ongoing movement of strike,” it said.
The resolution stated that the action committee and Sambalpur district bar association have high hopes of formation of a permanent bench of the Orissa HC at Sambalpur from all the Constitutional authorities. “The central action committee reposes complete faith in the Hon’ble Supreme Court,” it said.
Meanwhile, the BCI continued to act tough and suspended practice license of 14 more lawyers for a period of 18 months. On Monday, it had suspended all the members of the district bar till further orders while cancelling licenses of 29 advocates for 18 months.
Earlier, Sambalpur Police arrested 17 lawyers of the district bar association in connection with the vandalism on the premises of district court. “Seventeen lawyers were arrested on the basis of three cases registered in connection with the incident. The number of arrests might go up depending on the evidence collected,” Sambalpur SP B Gangadhar said.
Even as tension prevailed in the town, police continued imposition of prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC within 200 metre radius of Kacheri Chhak where the lawyers had staged the protest. As many 21 platoons of police were deployed near the court to keep a watch on the situation.