The lawyers being taken to court in Sambalpur. Telegraph picture

Cuttack/Sambalpur, April 26: Lawyers boycotted high court proceedings in the post-lunch session today to protest against the arrest of their colleagues in Sambalpur in connection with the incident in which the Sambalpur district collector was manhandled and her residential office was ransacked on April 23.

The lawyers have also decided to boycott the proceedings of the high court on Friday to demand a judicial probe and withdrawal of cases against the lawyers. The lawyers will decide their future course of action on April 30. District courts in Sambalpur, too, remained closed today.

On April 23, collector Mrinalini Darswal and lawyers had a heated exchange following which there were allegations that the collector and the sub-registrar were manhandled by the lawyers. Later, a mob ransacked the official residence of the collector.

The Sambalpur police today arrested 18 lawyers while they were on their way to participate in a rally that was being organised in support of having a high court bench in western Odisha.

“Sixteen lawyers were arrested on the basis of the complaint lodged by the collector, four others on the complaint lodged by the district sub-registrar,” said additional superintendent of police Dilip Kumar Deo.

Two of the lawyers have been named in both cases, he said.

The arrested lawyers included the president of the Sambalpur Bar Association, Pramod Rath, and the secretary, Bijitendriya Pradhan.

The lawyers were produced before the sub-divisional judicial magistrate and released on personal bond.

The arrest evoked strong protests from the legal community. The lawyers picketed in front of the court. “We were participating in a rally to demand a high court bench in western Odisha. But the police arrested us. We condemn this action,” said Rath.

The lawyers also pressed for a judicial inquiry into the April 23 incident and action against Darswal.

“Police are investigating the case registered against the collector,” said sub-divisional police officer P.K. Mohapatra.

In Cuttack, the general body of the High Court Bar Association demanded immediate withdrawal of cases against the lawyers and appointment of a commission of inquiry headed by a retired judge of the high court or Supreme Court.