Tension ran high at Kacheri Chhak in Sambalpur city as agitating lawyers clashed with police on Wednesday.
The lawyers were staging a demonstration demanding establishment of a permanent Bench of the Orissa High Court in Sambalpur, during which police uprooted tents camped by the agitators. A faceoff situation ensued between the lawyers and police over the matter.
Several judges couldn’t reach the court premises due to protest by lawyers and returned home.
The lawyers also resorted to picketing at various Government offices in the city.
Notably, the Supreme Court has directed the Bar Council of India (BCI) to suspend the licences of the agitating lawyers. The apex court had also directed for arrangements by police to prevent lawyers from obstructing the working of courts.
The top court issued the direction on an application filed by the Registrar General of the Orissa High Court saying the bar associations’ strike in several districts has seriously hampered the judicial work in all the subordinate courts.
Earlier, the Sambalpur District Bar Association had said that around 1,600 lawyers will surrender their licences if one of them is suspended.