Cuttack: Litigants were affected as Orissa High Court lawyers stayed away from work on Friday to protest against police inaction in the "unnatural death" of an advocate.
Hundreds of cases, including bail pleas and anticipatory bail applications, went without hearing due to the strike. The lawyers had abstained work after lunch break on Thursday.
Hearing on the issue of officers posted in Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) while continuing to reside in Bhubaneswar could not be taken up because of the strike.
The state urban development department commissioner-cum-secretary was to file a proper affidavit giving details on the provision for place of residence for officers vis-à-vis their place of posting and under what condition they continued to occupy quarters in Bhubaneswar.
An affidavit was filed on Wednesday indicating that the municipal commissioner and two deputy commissioners of the CMC were still occupying government quarters in Bhubaneswar but attending office in Cuttack without any authorisation. The court had rejected the affidavit and sought a proper one on Friday.
The court also could not proceed with the petitions of several persons whose land have been acquired for expansion of NH 16 at Hanspal. The court had issued a status quo order on the acquired land on January 8. It was scheduled to hear the rehabilitation package offered to the petitioners.
High Court Bar Association secretary Satyabrata Mohanty said we resorted to cease work "as a mark of protest against police inaction in connection with the unnatural death of our colleague Sandeep Nayak, 29".
"However, we will resume court work on Monday," he said.
Nayak, who lived in Sector 9 of Markatnagar had gone missing from his house on July 28 evening. The next day, a complaint was lodged with the Markatnagar police. His body was found from Kuakhai river on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar on July 31.
"Although two days have passed, the police have done little to ascertain whether it was a case of murder or suicide. We expect a proper police inquiry into the death," Mohanty said.
Bike accident
A 38-year-old man died and three were seriously injured following collision between two bikes at Baidimala Chowk on the Cuttack-Chandballi State Highway in Kendrapara on Friday. The deceased has been identified as Babaji Barik. Three injured persons were rushed to the district headquarters hospital in serious condition.
