The High Court Bar Association premises. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Sept. 25: Litigants across the state suffered as the High Court Bar Association continued cease work for the second day today, protesting against the arrest of former advocate-general Asok Mohanty by the CBI.

The bar associations at district levels, too, extended their support to the protest.

However, a group of lawyers today moved the bail plea of Mohanty in Orissa High Court.

The high court declined to adjudicate on the bail plea, saying that the matter was first to be judged by the appropriate court.

The high court said the court of the district sessions judge, Khurda, ought to have been moved after the court of chief judicial magistrate (special), CBI, Bhubaneswar, had rejected the petitioner’s bail petition yesterday.

The single judge bench of Justice S.K. Mishra directed the district sessions judge, Khurda, to adjudicate and dispose of in the first hour tomorrow if Mohanty’s bail petition was moved.

Among hundreds of cases, the court was not able to proceed further with the petition of 91 retrenched employees of Northeastern Electricity Supply Company of Odisha (Nesco) seeking judicial relief.

“Notice was issued on our petition more than a year ago. Our case was listed today. God knows when our plea will come for hearing again,” said petitioner Dharmendra Khatua, 38. Another petitioner in the case is Abhimanyu Khanda, 40.

The high court also could not take up the case of Duleswar Barik, 34, to determine the quantum of compensation to be awarded to him for his illegal detention for seven years despite acquittal. Granting last opportunity, the court had fixed today for submission of argument by the state counsel.

More than 700 cases listed before various benches could not be taken up for hearing. Several pending cases from the weekly list, drawn up on Monday, also faced the same fate.

Litigants also suffered as the lawyers today abstained from attending court work in subordinate courts in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and many places across the state in response to a call given by High Court Bar Association yesterday.

Harekrushna Nayak of Ranihat was disappointed as the court of civil judge (senior division), Cuttack, could not proceed with his case due to the cease work. “I have been fighting a property related case in the court for my wife since the 1960s. The case was listed for final hearing and order today. I have to wait for another date now,” said 75-year-old Harekrushna.

Cuttack Bar Association secretary Kshetramohan Dhal said: “We abstained from court work to protest against the illegality and manner, in which Asok Mohanty, a senior advocate, was arrested by the CBI.”

The high court lawyers went on a two-day cease work a day after the Odisha State Bar Council on Tuesday opposed the former advocate-general’s arrest.

High Court Bar association secretary Bidyadhar Pradhan said: “Our general body will decide on the future course of action at 10am tomorrow.”