Youth arrested for Facebook post against ongoing protest for HC bench

Sambalpur: Police today arrested a youth for allegedly making objectionable comments protesting closure of government offices due to lawyer’s strike for a HC bench in Sambalpur.

According to sources, one Pravash Pruseth of Burla area had written a Facebook post under Youth Against Corruption campaign in which he allegedly made some objectionable comments against the ongoing lawyer’s agitation. After the district lawyers’ association lodged an FIR at Burla Police Station, Pruseth was arrested in connection with the incident.

Meanwhile, Pruseth has launched an indefinite hunger strike protesting his arrest. “General public is suffering due to a shutdown of government offices because of lawyer protests over HC bench demand for the past five months. Protesting the closure of the offices, I had written a Facebook post but the lawyers’ association lodged a defamation case against me. The police arrested me today morning, so I have launched a hunger strike and will continue to protest until the district collector normalizes the situation,” said Pruseth.

Additional SP of Sambalpur Amarendra Rana said he (Pravash) has been arrested for threatening the lawyers. “If we find any objectionable or offensive content in his Facebook post, another case will be registered against him,” said Rana.

Demanding establishment of a permanent bench of Orissa High Court in Sambalpur, lawyers of the region have launched an indefinite stir in the district by hindering government functioning. Due to the protests, not only administrative works have been affected, but also judicial, non-judicial and revenue-related works have come to a halt.