Cuttack: Defying Supreme Court’s directive to resume work immediately, agitating lawyers affiliated to Orissa High Court Bar Association Friday escalated their month-long agitation barring judges from entering the High Court and burning effigies of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and Orissa High Court Chief Justice KS Jhaveri.
Soon after the Bar association general body meeting at 9.30am, the lawyers decided to extend their cease-work agitation till October 3.
Claiming the apex court directive as ‘one-sided’, HC Bar Association secretary Satyabrata Mohanty said, “The SC had given the ruling without taking our version into account. Future course of action will be decided in the October 3 meeting of the Bar.”
The lawyers’ action comes a day after the SC asked them to resume work to ensure litigants do not face any impediment in access to justice.
Notably, the lawyers are on a strike demanding the arrest of police officials involved in the attack on advocate Debi Prasad Patnaik August 28. Two constables — BK Samal and UK Bhuyan– and Havildar PK Behera have been suspended in connection with the attack.
A bench of Chief Justice issued the direction Thursday after a litigant, Abhijit Iyer Mitra arrested for allegedly making derogatory remarks against the Konark temple in the state, moved the apex court seeking regular bail as the lawyers were on strike since August 29.
The apex court said,”We restrain the Orissa High Court Bar Association and other connected associations from going on strike and (direct them) to resume the court work so that no impediment is caused in the right of access to justice of any litigant.”