Cuttack, 10th Oct 2025: The murder of advocate Pitabas Panda from Berhampur, a member of the Odisha State Bar Council, has sparked statewide outrage among the legal fraternity.
Incident and Reaction
Panda was shot dead in a shocking incident, triggering condemnation from lawyers across Odisha.
In response, the Odisha State Bar Council called for a statewide protest, leading to lawyers in most bars — including the Orissa High Court Bar Association — to observe a pen-down strike today.
Advocates are demanding immediate identification and arrest of the culprits.
🪧 High Court Lawyers Lead Protest March
Under the leadership of Manoj Mishra, President of the High Court Bar Association, hundreds of lawyers marched from the High Court to the Collector’s office.
A memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister was submitted via the Collector.
📄 Key Demands Presented:
1. Immediate arrest of all accused and conspirators.
2. Strict punishment for those involved.
3. Security for all practicing advocates, especially elected representatives and those in public interaction.
4. Immediate implementation of the long-demanded Odisha Advocates Protection Act.
👥 Key Participants in Protest:
Abhijit Pattnayak – Secretary, High Court Bar
Siddhartha Das – Vice President
Bishnu Prasad Tripathy – Senior Advocate
Prashanta Sahu – President, Criminal Courts Bar Association
Sanjay Das, Arun Kumar Budhia, Shashibhushan Das, Biplab Shiladitya – Senior Advocates
Akshaya Kumar Pati – State Bar Council Member
Mohammad Arif Uddin Khan – Advocate
Prasanna Nanda – General Secretary, Neel Odisha Lawyers’ Association
Others including Pratap Keshari Deo and Padmalaya Mohapatra were also present.
The gruesome killing of advocate Pitabas Panda has united Odisha’s legal community in grief and protest. With pen-down strikes and mass rallies, lawyers are demanding swift justice and institutional protection. The call for enacting the Advocate Protection Act has gained new urgency in light of the incident.
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