New Delhi, Dec 13: The Bar Council of India (BCI) has suspended 43 agitating advocates of the Sambalpur District Bar Association in Odisha for allegedly indulging in vandalism on issues including the demand for establishment of a permanent bench of the state high court in western Odisha.
The apex bar council said in a press release on Tuesday that the suspension was for a period of 18 months with immediate effect.
It said that BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra has further suspended all the members of the Sambalpur District Bar Association till further orders, saying their conduct was “grossly against professional conduct and etiquettes”.
The BCI said the advocates were seen shouting slogans, burning effigies of judges and office bearers of BCI and State Bar Council, entering in the courtroom and damaging the computer sets and other properties inside and outside the courtrooms and further manhandling the police officers and personnel fighting and abusing them.
Manan passed the directions, saying that the videographs as well as the e-mail sent by the Odisha State Bar Council disclosed that almost all the lawyers practising there (males and females) were “badly indulged” in shouting slogans, burning effigies of judges and office bearers, entering in the courtroom and damaging the computer sets.
The council had earlier issued direction to some bar associations of Odisha to recall strike and allow the court to function smoothly. (PTI)
