New Delhi: The Bar Council of India (BCI) Tuesday condemned the killing of an Odisha advocate.
BCI Chairman and senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra issued a letter saying the apex bar body expressed its “strongest condemnation and profound anguish at the cold-blooded shooting and murder of Pitabas Panda, a duly elected member of the Odisha state bar council. This barbaric act is not merely a crime against an individual; it is a direct assault on the independence of the legal profession and the rule of law in the state.”
The letter said that communications received from bar members across India revealed that Panda was targeted by armed miscreants.
It said, “The legal fraternity across the country is shocked and in mourning. The BCI stands in unwavering solidarity with the bereaved family and with the Odisha state bar council.”
The letter demanded decisive and time-bound action from the state government.
