Protesting lawyers torch police vehicle in Bhubaneshwar

Members of the Bhubaneswar Bar Association torched a police vehicle in Odisha on Monday, while they were protesting against the brutal attack on a lawyer by the police.

Reportedly, an advocate, Nihar Ranjan Sethi, was beaten up and brutally attacked by police on grounds of traveling late night.

The irked lawyers set ablaze a police jeep at the busy Kalpana Square area on the Cuttack-Puri National Highway in Bhubaneswar. Nobody was hurt in the incident.

The agitating lawyers claimed they were earlier assured by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Nirinjit Singh that action against the accused policemen will be taken within 24 hours and the injured lawyer will be compensated but none of this was done.

An advocate of Bhubaneswar Bar Association, Nirupama Mohanty, said they would burn down the entire city to get justice for the injured lawyer.

"We demand that within 24 hours they should arrest the culprits. If they do not fulfill our demands, we will burn the whole of Bhubaneswar. We will torch all police departments here. It is a matter of prestige for us lawyers; we will sacrifice our lives for the injured lawyer. Bhubaneswar bar is a prestigious bar in Odisha, we will not remain silent. We will do all we can," said Mohanty.

Police Commissioner R.P. Sharma and DCP Nirinjit Singh reached the spot immediately following the incident.

Another lawyer, Lalatendu Patnaik, said advocates from all bar associations across the city were part of the agitation.

"Advocates of Bhubaneswar Capital Bar Association and all other bar associations of Bhubaneswar are agitating against the brutal attack of the police," said Patnaik.

Reportedly, Sethi has been admitted to a hospital because of the injuries he suffered during the attack, as he was kicked by the police and then baton charged further, when he told them that he was a practicing lawyer.

The protesters demanded immediate sacking of the accused policemen and a compensation of rupees 50 lakh (rupees five million) for Sethi.