Will send central forces if Odisha police can’t stop lawyers’ stir: SC

Seeking the presence of director general of police (DGP) through videoconferencing on Wednesday, a bench of justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and AS Oka directed the state government to enumerate the steps taken against the lawyers striking work at Sambalpur and indulging in hooliganism.

The Supreme Court on Monday warned the Odisha government of calling in a central police force if the state police were not able to stop the vandalism caused by protesting lawyers, who, the court said, should be arrested and made to pay for the damage to property.

The court took strong exception to a report by the registrar general of the high court and videos showing how the protesting lawyers forcibly entered the chambers of a district judge and other judicial officers, created a ruckus and threatened them on Monday morning. (HT Photo)

Seeking the presence of director general of police (DGP) through videoconferencing on Wednesday, a bench of justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and AS Oka directed the state government to enumerate the steps taken against the lawyers striking work at Sambalpur and indulging in hooliganism.

The court took strong exception to a report by the registrar general of the high court and videos showing how the protesting lawyers forcibly entered the chambers of a district judge and other judicial officers, created a ruckus and threatened them on Monday morning.

“They have lost the privilege of the profession and must be arrested immediately... If a thousand people need to be arrested, let them be arrested. But they cannot stop courts from functioning,” said the bench, as it heard a contempt plea against the lawyers’ strikes in the western districts of Odisha, demanding different benches of the high court.

“Police are expected to take action. Why are the police making polite conversations with them? Why should they not be taken into custody? If the police are not able to control it, we will send the paramilitary,” it added. “Please tell us whether you are able to handle it or not. We will say the state cannot handle the law-and-order situation and a central police force should be called in.”

The court wondered if lawyers involved in destruction of property and stopping access to courts deserve a bench of the high court.

“We will never allow a bench to be set up in a place where you have such lawyers. We will injunct if that is the case. Such lawyers don’t deserve it,” commented the court, adding that their licenses should be suspended immediately and they must cough up for the damages.

“A disturbing picture has been presented before us on the basis of the affidavit filed by the registrar general of the high court disrupting court proceedings in the district courts...We will not countenance the position. We have said so. We consider this a failure of the police also not to have taken action and taken the concerned disruptive lawyers into custody who must be prosecuted in accordance with law. The peace must be restored at all costs,” stated the court in its order.

The order added: “Lawyers, as stated before, have lost their privilege by this behaviour and the police is expected to take strictest of action. We expect the Bar Council of India also to be represented before us to explain as to what extent the licences have been suspended of the concerned lawyers leading the agitation.”

While fixing next hearing on Wednesday, the bench also asked the high court registrar general to submit a list of district courts where the cases from Sambalpur could be transferred for the time being.

Hours after the court order, the Bar Council of India, suspended 29 striking advocates for a period of 18 months, and also suspended all the members of the Sambalpur District Bar Association till further orders.