oBerhampur: Members of the All Odisha Lawyers’ Association (AOLA) on Sunday demanded the implementation of an advocates’ protection bill in the state following an acid attack on a senior advocate in Gajapati district’s Paralakhemundi town on Saturday afternoon by unidentified attackers.
The attack targeted P Rama Rao, a 64-year-old senior advocate, at his residence on Jangam street. Two unidentified individuals on a motorcycle reportedly knocked on Rao’s door and threw acid at him as he opened it before fleeing the scene. Rao sustained serious injuries, including to his eyes, and was initially treated at Paralakhemundi Hospital. He was later transferred to a private hospital in Visakhapatnam, where police reported that his condition was stable.
Following the attack, AOLA secretary Sanjit Kumar Panigrahy voiced the association’s concerns, saying, “We urge the state govt to implement the advocates’ safety bill.” AOLA president Nandanandan Satapathy and chairman Gyana Ranjan Mohanty announced plans to submit a formal memorandum to the govt, appealing to chief minister Mohan Majhi for the immediate arrest of the attackers. They also want the govt to cover all expenses for Rao’s treatment and provide him with security.
Prasant Bhupati, IIC of Paralakhemundi police station, said the motive behind the attack is unknown. “We are working to apprehend the suspects and have intensified patrolling,” added Bhupati. Although no CCTV cameras were present nearby, footage from a distant camera was reviewed, he said.
The incident has drawn attention to advocate safety issues across the country. Karnataka govt has already implemented the Karnataka Prohibition of Violence against Advocates Act-2023. Also, the Bar Council of India (BCI) had urged the Union law minister a few months ago for a pension scheme and swift implementation of the advocates’ protection bill.