Cuttack: Lawyers of Orissa high court and other lower courts in Cuttack stayed away from physical court proceedings on Thursday citing “inconvenience” in view of the Odisha bandh called by Congress, while urging judges not to pass adverse orders against parties whose advocates could not appear.Orissa High Court Bar Association had taken the decision at its executive committee meeting on Wednesday, taking into consideration difficulties “due to road block / inconvenience as well as apprehension of damage to the movable property and safety of the life of members of the Bar”.In the resolution, copy of which was released to the press, OHCBA president Lalatendu Samantaray and secretary Hrudananda Mohapatra, said the bandh was expected to affect vehicular movement and rail connectivity across the state, making it difficult for lawyers to reach the high court. The association also pointed out that not all advocates would be in a position to participate in proceedings through virtual mode.“Due to road block/inconvenience as well as apprehension of damage to the movable property and safety of the life of members of the Bar, the executive committee decided to seek accommodation from the court,” Samantaray and Mohapatra stated.Accordingly, as per resolution, OHCBA requested the Chief Justice and other judges to accommodate lawyers who remained absent on Oct 8. It also specifically urged the judges not to pass any adverse order merely because an advocate was unable to appear.The lawyers of Cuttack Bar Association and Cuttack Criminal Courts Bar Association also stayed away from proceedings, after passing resolutions citing similar concerns over the bandh.xxx
