The Bar Council of India has suspended 29 striking Advocates for a period of 18 months with immediate effect and has further suspended all the members of the Sambalpur District Bar Association till further orders.
“In view of the acts of vandalism indulged into by striking lawyers of Sambalpur District Bar Association (Odisha) whereby they have been seen to be indulged in shouting slogans, burning effigies of Judges and Office Bearers of Bar Council of India and State Bar Council, entering in the Court Room and damaging the computer sets and other properties inside and outside the Court Rooms and further manhandling the police officers and personnel fighting and abusing them, which conduct is grossly against professional conduct and etiquettes, the Honble Chairman, Bar Council of India, has suspended 29 striking Advocates for a period of 18 months with immediate effect and has further suspended all the members of the Sambalpur District Bar Association till further orders,” read a press note issued by the Bar Council of India on Monday (Dec 12).
“The office has placed the Videographs of the vandalism of the striking lawyers of Sambalpur District Bar Association (Odisha) and the office has further placed the email sent by the Odisha State Bar Council.
The video clearly discloses that almost all the lawyers practicing there (Males and Females) are badly indulged in shouting slogans, burning effigies of Judges and Office Bearers of Bar Council of India and State Bar Council, entering in the Court Room and damaging the computer sets and other properties inside and outside the Court Rooms.
The Members of Sambalpur District Bar Association are also seen manhandling the police officers and personnel fighting and abusing them,” read the order quoting Chairman, Bar Council of India.
“As per the FIR No.0460 dated 30.11.2022 filed before PS-Town, District Sambalpur, the following Advocates were indulged in using un-parliamentary words for Judges, in pushing and pulling the police officials and obstructing the court proceedings:-
(1) Sureswar Mishra; (2) Shib Diwan; (3) Pramod Saraf; (4) Satyananjan Purohit; (5) Srikant Panigrahi; (6) Himansu Panigrahi; (7) Mahendra Badhei; (8) Anup Taria; (9) Silu Mahapatra; (10) Saiyanaryan Panda; (11) Prabin Singhdeo; (12) Rabi Pujhari; (13) Surtij Biswal; (14) Chandrakanta iVlohanty; (15) Nabin Satpathy; (16) Sam./ Sahu; (17) Manoranjan Dash; (18) Manas Mishra; (19) Sameer Mahapatra; (20) Banditti Mishra; (21) Rajib Satpathy; (22) Basanta Mishra; (23) Minketan Bhoi; (24) Ratan Aganval; (25) Bijetendra Pradhan; (26) Suranjini Barik; (27) Pradeep Bohidar; (28) Babull Panda; and (29) Manoranjan Panda.
The licenses of practice of the above named 29 Advocates is hereby suspended for a period of 18 Months from today,” it further read.
This Council had earlier on 13.11.2022 issued clear direction to some Bar Associations of Odisha to recall strike and allow the court to function smoothly and the Office Bearers and Members were forbidden from discharging functions as Office Bearers and directed to remain out of their offices till further orders.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had asked the Bar Council of India to suspend the licenses of the lawyers who have been striking for establishment of permanent High Court bench in Western Odisha.
The Bench, comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Abhay S. Oka, also recommended that the Bar Council take “appropriate action” against the district bar associations whose members have been involved in the protests.
