A scuffle ensued between police and the common people including lawyers at Sambalpur on Monday when the latter tried to break the barricade and storm into the court premises to intervene in the proceedings.

The lawyers and various organisations have been agitating since November 2 on the demand for establishing a permanent high court bench in Sambalpur.

The Supreme Court on Monday expressed its displeasure over Odisha police for its failure to handle the lawyers’ protest and reportedly said it would deploy central forces if Odisha police failed to control the situation.

It asked the Odisha DGP and inspector general of police to present themselves via video conferencing on Wednesday.

However, DGP Sunil Kumar Bansal is yet to make any comment.

Earlier, the SC had asked the Bar Council of India to suspend the licenses of agitating lawyers in several districts of the state.

Meanwhile, other bar associations in different districts staged peaceful protests in front of the different district and session courts.