The Orissa high court on Friday stayed the suspension of Hrushikesh Panda, chairman of the Industrial Development Corporation Limited, saying that the speaker has no power to suspend a civil servant.

Sources in the high court said Panda was suspended last month on the order of assembly Speaker Sarat Kumar Kar because he allegedly misbehaved with Balabhadra Majhi, the Minister for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Welfare, and with legislator Saharai Oram, at a government guesthouse in March.

A division bench of the court comprising Justice A K Patnaik and Justice B K Das passed the stay after hearing a series of public interest petitions filed by eminent citizens.