Bhubaneswar: A delegation of agitating lawyers of Orissa High Court called on Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra here Sunday to apprise him of the issues confronting them.
Misra was in the city to attend a seminar.
Tahali Charan Mohanty, chairman State Bar Council, told the media that the CJI had called them following their request and that of the Bar Council of India.
“We held the discussion for around one hour with him. The Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court was also present. Six members from different bar associations represented the lawyers,” Mohanty said.
He said the discussion was “hopeful.” “We had hopeful discussions. We hope something will be done to safeguard the interests of the lawyers.”
The meeting came at a time when the spat between lawyers and the state government is escalating with work at the High Court having also come to a halt.
Mohanty welcomed the decision of the Bar Council of India for lending support to their demands. He said, “The State Bar Council has been fighting for the cause of more than 60,000 lawyers in the state and will continue to do so. We would like to extend our thanks to the Bar Council of India who raised the demands of the aggrieved lawyers. We had earlier apprised them about the events here.”
Lawyers have been on strike since August 29 after cops allegedly beat up one of them August 28 at Cuttack. They are demanding arrest of the “guilty” personnel. The government has already placed three policemen under suspension in this connection.