Cuttack/Rourkela, April 7: The ongoing crisis over the alleged assault of a judicial magistrate by a police officer took a new twist with the Orissa government today asking Rourkela superintendent of police Diptesh Patnaik to proceed on leave. Sundargarh police chief Deepak Kumar will take charge in place of Patnaik.
The government move assumes significance as the agitating lawyers had demanded Patnaik’s transfer. The government had earlier suspended inspector in-charge Sadanand Pujari for allegedly assaulting judicial magistrate (first class) Arun Patnaik. A judicial probe had also been ordered into the incident.
The lawyers, however, continued to boycott courts for the fourth consecutive day. They also picketed outside government offices and blocked roads in front of the court in Rourkela. Throughout today, the lawyers worked to ensure that tomorrow’s Rourkela bandh turns out to be a huge success. The bandh call has already got the support of several Opposition parties.
On the other hand, leaders of the Orissa Police Association’s Rourkela unit today met additional district magistrate Sachin Ramchandra Jadav and submitted a memorandum addressed to chief minister Naveen Patnaik. The association demanded revocation of Pujari’s suspension and also sought the removal of public prosecutors and additional public prosecutors taking part in the lawyers’ agitation.
The association alleged that some members of the Rourkela Bar Association had assaulted constable Anjan Kumar Mohanty and smashed his video-camera. The association demanded immediate arrest of the culprits. The delegation was also accompanied by members of local unit of the Orissa Havildar, Constable and Sepoy Confederation.
In Cuttack, members of the Orissa High Court Bar Association continued to abstain from work for the fourth day and passed a resolution to join protests tomorrow.
“It was further unanimously resolved that as the PIL is scheduled to be taken up tomorrow, some senior members of the Bar will be allowed to present the case on behalf of the petitioner,” association secretary Lalatendu Samantaray told The Telegraph today.
“Similarly, the Bar Association also requested the advocate-general to appear and conduct the case on behalf of the government,” Samantaray added.
The Orissa State Bar Council (OSBC), on the other hand, has decided to adopt a wait-and-watch policy before taking any decision on the issue of cease work.
“We will wait till the fact-finding committee deputed by us submits a report on the Rourkela incident,” OSBC chairman Gopal Krushna Mohanty told The Telegraph today.
The apex body of the Bar associations in the state had formed a single member fact-finding committee to probe the matter. “The committee has already started its probe. It is expected to submit a report within a day or two,” the OSBC chairman said.