Cuttack, Dec. 16: Litigants suffered in Orissa High Court as lawyers ceased work today demanding revocation of state government's decision to abolish the Odisha Administrative Tribunal.

"We abstained from work today as a mark of protest against the state government's indifference to the just demand of the practising lawyers of the two tribunal bar associations in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack," said High Court Bar Association secretary B.K. Ragada.

Among hundreds of cases, the high court today could not proceed with the bail petition of Mayurbhanj MP Rama Chandra Hansdah, who has been in jail for more than a year now.

The CBI had arrested Hansdah on November 4 last for his alleged links with one Nabadiganta Capital Services Pvt Ltd, a major player in the sham deposit collection scam in the state.

On December 9, the CBI court of chief judicial magistrate in Bhubaneswar rejected his bail plea for attending the winter session of Parliament.

Today, the high court court also could not continue with the adjudication on the petitions challenging the election of two BJD leaders - Rajendra Kumar Sahoo (Khurda MLA) and Ramesh Patua (Rengali MLA) in April 2014. Both the petitions are now in an advanced stage of hearing. The high court had ordered submission of certain documents related to the poll process.

With the lawyers not attending court work, most of the cases listed before various benches could not be taken up for hearing. More than 200 bail pleas, including anticipatory ones, also met with the same fate.

The High Court Bar Association has decided to continue with the cease work for tomorrow and the day after. "We will decide our future course of action at our general body meeting at 1.20pm on Friday," Ragada said.

Odisha State Bar Council chairman Manas Ranjan Mohapatra said: "It is unfortunate that the state government's apathy to the demand of the lawyers has triggered fresh agitation."