Lawyers across Odisha launched a pen-down protest on Wednesday to demand justice after two assailants shot and killed senior advocate and BJP leader Pitabas Panda in Berhampur on Kumar Purnima night.

The Odisha Bar Council initiated the strike and urged the government to ensure legal professionals receive better protection.

Lawyers from Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Brahmapur, Koraput, and Malkangiri joined the protest and condemned the killing. They described the attack as a direct blow to democracy and the rule of law.

Odisha Bar Council President Sitanshu Mohan Dwibedi demanded ₹1 crore in compensation for Panda’s family. He also pressed authorities to arrest the accused within 48 hours and impose the harshest punishment.

In Malkangiri, lawyers lit candles and observed silence to honor Pand

See Full Page