Lawyers and police face-off in Cuttack

The stand-off between the striking lawyers and police continued for the consecutive day today as the advocates stayed out of the court rooms demanding action against a police inspector, who allegedly assaulted a lawyer.
The Orissa High Court bar association and other bars of the city today decided to continue their strike till Monday.
The stalemate began when an advocate of Cuttack civil court Nayan Biswal alleged that he was physically assaulted by Bidanasi police inspector Rabinarayan Barik on the night of February 18 and pushed into the police lock-up.
Barik maintained that the concerned lawyer in a drunken state had created ruckus inside the police station.

Cases against both Biswal and Barik have been registered.
While the Cuttack lawyers have made an appeal to other lawyers of the state for extending support to their cause, the Odisha Police Service Association (OPSA) and Odisha Havildar, Constable and Sepoy Confederation have thrown their weight behind the Odisha Police Association (OPA).

"We will meet again on Monday afternoon to take stock of the situation and decide about the further course of action", said the Cuttack Bar Association General Secretary Nityananda Beuria.
Sources said representatives of all 60-odd bars of the State would join the meeting convened by the Cuttack Bar Association on Monday.

Meanwhile, demanding judicial inquiry into the whole matter, the members of OPA held a meeting and also threatened to go on mass leave if any action was unilaterally taken against the police inspector without proper inquiry.
Representatives of OPSA and the confederation also attended today's meeting.