Split in HC Bar Association over ending cease-work stir

Cuttack: The High Court Bar Association virtually split into two groups Sunday, a day after lawyers affiliated to the Biju Janata Dal Legal Front distanced themselves from the ongoing cease-work agitation called by the association.
Lawyers from the ruling-party affiliated front had decided to resume work Monday; but the bar association reiterated its resolve to continue with the agitation, which has been going on over the past two months in protest against the police assault on practicing lawyer Devi Prasad Patnaik in Cuttack. The advocates’ body has been demanding the arrest of the police personnel involved in the incident.
Members of the bar association demonstrated against State Bar Council chairman Tahali Charan Mohanty, BJD Legal Front chief Asim Amitabh Das and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Sunday.
Soon after the rally, Das made an appeal to the lawyers to resume work Monday in the greater interests of the people of the state.
Mohanty appealed lawyers to end their agitation and to resume work from Monday. “We always support unity among lawyers. A case pertaining to police assault on a lawyer is now before the high court. We should not continue the cease-work agitation until the HC delivers a judgement in the case,” he said.
Former chairman of State Bar Council Chinmay Kumar Mohanty, in turn, alleged that some lawyers were acting as agents of the BJD and trying to destroy unity among practicing advocates.
HC Bar Association president Srikant Nayak and secretary Satyabrata Mohanty said they had been agitating to ensure that justice is seen to be done to Devi Prasad Patnaik, who was assaulted by the police.
Meanwhile, activists of the students’ outfit Chhatra Swabhiman Manch claimed that the bar association was staging the agitation based on instructions of BJP leader and Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. They also burned Pradhan in effigy.
City deputy commissioner of police Akhilesvar Singh said his force was ready to provide security to lawyers who decide to resume work Monday. “We have 10 platoons of armed police personnel at Lalbagh police station, located close to the HC,” he said.