Odisha lawyers call off stir as standoff with police resolved

The 78-day-long standoff between lawyers and police was resolved amicably in the Orissa High Court here Wednesday as both the groups expressed regrets for their conducts and the developments that unfolded after an unsavoury incident on August 28.

Three policemen had allegedly assaulted a lawyer on August 28 after his car was involved in a series of road accidents.

While the policemen tendered "unconditional apology" for assaulting lawyer Debi Prasanna Patnaik at a marketplace on August 28, the High Court Bar Association president Srikant Naik on behalf of the lawyers fraternity also expressed regrets over the assault on a policeman inside the High Court premises on October 29.

The standoff was resolved in the court of Justice C R Dash, who on Monday had suggested this compromise formula to end the statewide lawyers strike. The strike had paralysed judicial activities in all courts and tribunals of the state.

Soon after the conciliation plan was worked out under the supervision of Justice Dash, the general body of the High Court Bar Association met and unanimously resolved to call off their strike.

"We will resume court works from Thursday," said the Association president calling upon all other bar associations of the state to follow suit.

Naik further said that the high court has formed a high-level committee headed by a retired judge of the high court to look into any disputes that may arise between police and lawyers in future. The committee will have senior lawyers, top policemen and bureaucrats. "The decision of the committee will be binding on both lawyers and policemen," he said.