New Delhi (The Hawk): In reference to the vandalism of courts and disruption of court proceedings in various areas of the state, the Supreme Court stated orally on Wednesday that it would send paramilitary forces if the Odisha Police were unable to maintain control of the situation.
The Director General of Police for Odisha and the Inspector General for Sambalpur were informed by a bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Abhay S. Oka that if police are unable to handle the situation, the court will order paramilitary forces to deal with it.
The bench added that it would punish anyone, including members of the legal profession, who damaged courts and caused disruptions in various areas of Odisha "quite harshly."
The top court was notified by the Bar Council of India (BCI) that 43 protesting attorneys from the Sambalpur District Bar Association had been suspended for allegedly participating in vandalism. The highest court ruled that individuals who used violence should have FIRs filed against them and should be prosecuted.
It said, "We are going to come down hard and will be very harsh."
Police officials informed the bench that 15 police platoons had been deployed following the most recent decision of the highest court and that a three-tier security system had been installed around the district court.
The bench expressed dissatisfaction with this attitude and threatened to use paramilitary forces if the police were unable to control the scene. The DGP informed the court that everything were now under control.
The bench made a note during the hearing that the desire for a permanent state high court bench in western Odisha seemed to have turned into a prestige issue. The bench declared that, even if there had been a slim chance, it had been eliminated by the lawyers' actions.
The DGP and IG reassured the court that no interference with the conduct of the court will be permitted.
The matter will be heard again by the top court in February.
(Inputs from Agencies)
