Lawyers across Odisha on Wednesday observed a pen-down strike protesting the murder of senior advocate and BJP leader Pitabas Panda in Berhampur.
Court proceedings across the state came to a halt, delaying hearings in several cases.
“We came to the Bhubaneswar court in connection with a bail case. As the lawyers were on strike, there was no hearing. We have to wait for another date,” said Madhusudan Rout, 56.
Advocate Sillabhadra Sastry said the strike was “a complete success”, adding that lawyers across the state “willingly joined the protest, demanding immediate arrest of those involved in Panda’s killing”.
Panda, a former Bar Council member, was shot dead on Monday night while returning home on his scooty, barely 100 metres from his house. Two assailants on a motorcycle fired at him from close range. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Panda had switched from the Congress to the BJP ahead of the 2024 general elections. Two days after the incident, police are yet to make any arrests or determine the motive behind the killing.
“The law and order situation in Ganjam has collapsed. The sand mafia is thriving, and there’s a political vacuum,” said CPI leader Narayan Reddy.
Advocate Surendra Behera demanded swift action, adding: “We want to know the reason behind the murder.”
Inspector-general of police (Southern Range) Niti Shekhar said: “We have expedited the investigation process and will soon crack the case.”
Police suspect professional contract killers were hired to kill Panda. Berhampur superintendent of police (SP) Saravana Vivek M. said: “The suspect, spotted in a white shirt and a helmet, could be a contract killer. Involvement of professional shooters cannot be ruled out. We have got some leads and hope to crack the case soon.”
As the murder triggered a political storm, former Odisha chief minister and the leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Naveen Patnaik blamed the BJP government for the collapse of law and order in the state.
Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday reviewed the situation and directed officials to take exemplary action against the culprits.
