In Patnagarh and throughout Odisha, lawyers abstained from court activities on Wednesday in response to the brutal killing of senior advocate and State Bar Council (SBC) member Pitabas Panda in Berhampur two days prior. Two bar associations in Patnagarh supported the State Bar Council’s strike, seeking justice for Panda, who was also affiliated with the BJP. A memorial meeting took place, presided over by Patnagarh Civil Bar Association and Criminal Court Bar Association presidents Dharpaganjan Patnaik and Indubhushan Thakur. Attendees held a silent prayer to honor Pitabas Panda and called for the immediate apprehension of the assailants, alongside sufficient compensation for the victim’s family.
The State Bar Council urged the state government, the director general of police, and relevant authorities to address the incident with promptness. Additionally, members of the Orissa High Court Bar Council organized a rally advocating for justice for Panda and submitted a memorandum to the Cuttack District Collector, while lawyers from the Bhubaneswar Bar Association staged a dharna outside the district and sessions judge’s court, abstaining from court duties.