Lawyers abstain from court work in Cuttack

Lawyers today abstained from work in all courts here including the Orissa High Court demanding the arrest of the policemen who have allegedly beaten an advocate on Tuesday.

The Orissa High Court Bar Association today gave a call to the lawyers to abstain from court activities and demanded the immediate arrest of the policemen who have allegedly beaten an advocate.

The Odisha Bar Council also gave a call to all advocates of the state to abstain from their respective court activities tomorrow and demanded the arrest of the policemen.

The lawyers picketed in front of courts here. A police vehicle was torched near one of the gates of the high court while the lawyers were picketing today, the police said.

On Tuesday an advocate while driving his car had hit a little girl on the road in Cuttack town. Reaching the spot, police tried to calm the situation but a scuffle ensued between the advocate and the policemen and he was taken to Chauliaganj police station.

But as words soon spread that an advocate has been assaulted by policemen, hundreds of lawyers rushed to the police station and gheraoed it late on the Tuesday evening. They demanded that the policemen, who have assaulted the advocate, be arrested immediately and placed under suspension.

Briefing newsmen, Police Commissioner Satyajit Mohanty today said at least three cases have registered in this connection, including that of the incident pertaining to the torching of police vehicle.

Appealing the advocates to maintain calm, Mohanty said an Additional DCP level officer has been entrusted to enquire into the whole incident and file a report within 48 hours.