Bhubaneswar, October 7: The Bar Council of India Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra has strongly condemned the brutal murder of senior lawyer from Odisha Pitabas Panda and demanded that Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi order a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and immediate arrest of all the accused.
In a video message, Mishra said, “I strongly condemn the brutal murder of Odisha State Bar Council Member Shri Pitabas Panda.”
“This is an attack on the rule of law. We request immediate action from Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Odisha Government. An SIT Probe and swift arrests of all culprits, harshest punishment, expedited trial and full witness protection, immediate ex-gratia to the family and reiterating our call for the Advocate Protection Act!,” tweeted Mishra.
Panda was shot dead at point-blank range in full public glare near his residence in Berhampur on Monday night by unidentified bike-borne miscreants.
According to reports, Panda left his chamber in Park Street at around 9.40 PM on Monday night and was heading home on his scooter. He was hardly 50 metres away from his residence at Brahma Nagar under Baidyanathpur police limits when two bike-borne miscreants fired two rounds at him from close range, aiming at his chest. He tried to run for his life, but collapsed after covering a few metres. Locals picked him up and rushed him to MKCG Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur on a bike. However, he was declared dead by the doctors.
