BCI Suspends Licenses of 29 Sambalpur Advocates for 18 Months

(Judicial Quest News Network)

In a significant development the bar Council of India (BCI), on Monday, has supended the licenses of practice of 29 Advocates of the District Bar Association, Sambalpur, with immediate effect, for 18 months.

The agitators were allegedly pushing and pulling police, using unparliamentry language and obstructing court proceedings.

The Apex Body also passed an interim order suspending all SDBA members’ license until further orders.

An FIR Was lodged last month for allegedly uttering unparliamentry languageagainst judges, attacking police officialsand obstructingcourt proceedings. The list alos includes the name of Mr.Sureshwar Mishra, president of the District bar Association Sambalpur.

In a press release, the BCI noted.

Hundreeds of Advocates demanding a permanent Orissa High Court bench in Sambalpur District, western Orissa, resorted to violence and vandalism in their ‘Satyagraha’ protest.

The BCI order came after video clips showed lawyers ‘violent’protests, which included damaging courtrooms.

The 29 Lawyers who have deen suspended for 18 months are

• Sureswar Mishra; (2) Shib Diwan; (3) Pramod Saraf; (4) Satyanaryan Purohit; (5) Srikant Panigrahi; (6) Himansu Panigrahi; (7) Mahendra Badhei; (8) Anup Taria; (9) Silu Mahapatra; (10) Satyanaryan Panda; (11) Prabin Singhdeo; (12) Rabi Pujhari; (13) Suraj Biswal; (14) Chandrakanta Mohanty; (15) Nabin Satpathy; (16) Saroj Sahu; (17) Manoranjan Dash; (18) Manas Mishra; (19) Sameer Mahapatra; (20) Bandita Mishra; (21) Rajib Satpathy; (22) Basanta Mishra; (23) Minketan Bhoi; (24) Ratan Agarwal; (25) Bijetendra Pradhan; (26) Suranjini Barik; (27) Pradeep Bohidar; (28) Babull Panda; and (29) Manoranjan Panda.

The BCI orders came after video clips were brought to its notice, which showed the ‘violent’ protests of lawyers.

“The office has placed the Videographs of the vandalism of the striking lawyers of Sambalpur District Bar Association (Odisha) and the office has further placed the email sent by the Odisha State Bar Council. 

The video clearly discloses that almost all the lawyers practicing there (Males and Females) are badly indulged in shouting slogans, burning effigies of Judges and Office Bearers of Bar Council of India and State Bar Council, entering in the Court Room and damaging the computer sets and other properties inside and outside the Court Rooms. 

The Members of Sambalpur District Bar Association are also seen manhandling the police officers and personnel fighting and abusing them.

The press release further said that “The office has placed the Videographs of the vandalism of the striking lawyers of Sambalpur District Bar Association (Odisha) and the office has further placed the email sent by the Odisha State Bar Council. 

The video clearly discloses that almost all the lawyers practicing there (Males and Females) are badly indulged in shouting slogans, burning effigies of Judges and Office Bearers of Bar Council of India and State Bar Council, entering in the Court Room and damaging the computer sets and other properties inside and outside the Court Rooms.  The Members of Sambalpur District Bar Association are also seen manhandling the police officers and personnel fighting and abusing them.

The Chairman of BCI, Mr. Manan Kumar Mishra said that This Council had earlier on 13.11.2022 issued clear direction to some Bar Associations of Odisha to recall strike and allow the court to function smoothly and the Office Bearers and Members were forbidden from discharging functions as Office Bearers and directed to remain out of their offices till further orders. 

As per the above-referred Order, the Special Committee and Chairman of Odisha State Bar Council was supposed to take immediate and appropriate steps against erring office bearers and members of Bar Associations.  However, it is now clear that even after serious incidents of misconduct of several Bar Association, the said fact neither inform to the Bar Council of India and nor any action was taken by the Special Committee of the State Bar Council.

As per the FIR No.0460 dated 30.11.2022 filed before PS-Town, District Sambalpur, the following Advocates were indulged in using un-parliamentary words for Judges, in pushing and pulling the police officials and obstructing the court proceedings.

The State Bar Council is further directed and requested to furnish the details of the Members of Sambalpur Bar Association and to circulate the list to all the Courts/Forums/Commissions/Tribunals of the country so that the Advocates under suspension may not appear in any Court/Forum during the period of the suspension of their licences.

The press release is signed and issued by Mr.Srimanto Sen Secretary Bar Council of India.

[Read BCI’S Press Release]