HC lawyers call off 78-day cease-work

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Cuttack: The lawyers of Odisha High Court Bar Association Wednesday called off their 78-day-long cease work agitation after three police personnel tendered an unconditional apology for attacking a lawyer August 28 last.
The lawyers’ agitation had paralysed the functioning of courts not only in Cuttack but also across the state and the High Court Bar Association demanded arrest of the police personnel involved in the brutal attack on lawyer Debi Prasad Pattnaik.
The general body of the High Court Bar Association which met here in the day was attended by several other Bar Associations of the city and resolved to resume the court work from Thursday (November 15) on the basis of the decision of the Odisha High Court.
During the court proceedings, the erring police personnel present in the court tendered a conditional apology for the attack on lawyer Pattnaik.
The court has expressed the opinion it would form guidelines for protection of the lawyers in case of any eventuality.
HC Bar Association president Srikant Nayak and secretary Satyabrta Mohanty said after the unconditional apology of the police personnel and the assurance given by the Odisha High Court, the ongoing cease work of the HC Bar Association and other connected Bar Associations has been called off with immediate effect.
Earlier in the day, Justice Chittaranjan Das, who heard the petition filed by advocate Debi Prasad Pattnaik, directed the police to prepare a guideline for the protection of lawyers.
The advocate in his petition challenged the police case filed against him and sought a direction from the court to expedite the action on the FIR filed by him against the police personnel for assaulting him.
The lawyer had a heated argument with the police in connection with an accident at Nua Bazar in Cuttack August 28 last in which the lawyer alleged he was beaten up by the police personnel.
The state government had ordered a Crime Branch inquiry into the incident, suspended three police personnel and issued a show cause notice to another police personnel in connection with the assault on the advocate.