Judicial activities in all the courts of the State, including that of the High Court here, were completely paralysed on Friday due to the Odisha Bandh call given by the Congress in protest against the mismanagement of different rituals attached to the mega event Nabakalebar of lord Jagannath.According to reports reaching here, lawyers across the State boycotted their respective courts claiming it was inconvenient for them to attend the courts in such circumstances. Judges, magistrates and presiding officers and other court staff, however, came to the courts, but the court activities were severely hampered due to the absence of lawyers.
“Due to inconveniences beyond our control, the High Court Bar Association on Thursday had passed a resolution not to attend the court on Friday,” said association president Ashok Mohapatra. He said lawyers of other bars in the city also failed to come to the courts.Mohapatra said that although the HC Bar Association did not support the bandh, a request was made to the Chief Justice and other HC judges to “accommodate” the members of the Bar only for the day in view of the situation. The judges were also requested not to pass any adverse orders against any clients appearing in the courts in the day, Mohapatra informed.Mohapatra nevertheless added that the members of the Bar are equally shattered over the irregularities in the rituals of lord Jagannath, more particularly the Brahma Parivartan fiasco.It may be mentioned that lawyers of the High Court as well as many other lawyers across the State had abstained from court activities on Wednesday over the issue.