Lawyers across Odisha resorted to “pen down” stir on Wednesday to protest against the gunning down of BJP leader and senior advocate Pitabas Panda in Berhampur city on Monday night.
The attack, carried out by unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants, has triggered widespread outrage amid growing concerns over the state’s law and order situation.
Members of the State and District Bar Councils abstained from their daily work, expressing deep concern over the killing and the failure of the police to apprehend the culprits 36 hours after the incident.
“Police ought to arrest the killers within 48 hours and ascertain the motive of the murder. The State Government should order a judicial inquiry into the crime without further delay as the incident has laid bare the fact that each law-abiding citizen including the Bar members are feeling unsafe as criminals are having a field day. The bereaved family members should be awarded Rs 1 crore compensation by the government”, Sitanshu Mohan Diwedi, President of the Odisha State Bar Council said.
In a related development, the Bar Council of India (BCI) on Tuesday sought for the constitution of a special investigation team (SIT) to investigate the case in a time-bound manner.
The safety and dignity of advocates are non-negotiable. BCI demands decisive, time-bound action from the state government to bring every perpetrator and conspirator to justice, to protect witnesses and the victim’s family, and to reassure the Bar that the State will uphold the rule of law,” said BCI chairman Manan Kumar Mishra in a statement yesterday.
Meanwhile, police investigations are ongoing. A senior officer, declining to provide details, said, “Police are investigating into the professional and political rivalry angle of the murder. We are hopeful of cracking the case shortly”.
Former chief minister and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday criticized the BJP government in Odisha, accusing it of fostering fear, lawlessness, and corruption in the state.
In a strongly worded post on X , Patnaik said, “An atmosphere of fear prevails in the state during this festive season. People have begun to feel unsafe.”
Patnaik also expressed grave concern over the communal violence in Cuttack, a city hailed for its harmony, where curfew had to be imposed for the first time in three decades. “The city of brotherhood has been pushed into tension and mistrust. This is unprecedented,” he said.