Odisha MLA seeks action against Lokayukta over moving SC with ‘forged’ order
Twelve days after filing a contempt petition against Odisha Lokayukta Ajit Singh before the Orissa High Court, alleging that the head of anti-corruption body committed forgery while approaching SC, former BJD leader and MLA Pradeep Panigrahi on Monday filed a petition before the apex court seeking appropriate proceedings against the officials of Lokayukta for the same, HT has learnt
Twelve days after filing a contempt petition against Odisha Lokayukta Ajit Singh before the Orissa High Court, alleging that the head of anti-corruption body committed forgery while approaching SC, former BJD leader and MLA Pradeep Panigrahi on Monday filed a petition before the apex court seeking appropriate proceedings against the officials of Lokayukta for the same, HT has learnt.
Early this month, Panigrahi had alleged that Odisha Lokayukta chairperson Ajit Singh and secretary Manas Ranjan Tripathi cited a non-existent order of the Orissa High Court while moving the SC against an earlier order of the Orissa HC. The Orissa High Court in February this year had quashed the Lokayukta’s order for a probe by the state vigilance department against Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy in an alleged case of disproportionate assets. The HC dismissed the Lokayukta order saying it was not legally tenable as the complainant and investigating agency in a quasi-judicial process cannot be the same.
After the HC quashed the Lokayukta order, the anti-corruption body had moved a review petition before it which was again dismissed in April 5. The Lokayukta then moved SC through Special Leave Petition against the HC orders in February and review petition orders in April this year calling it unfair.
Panigrahy, in his contempt petition filed before the Orissa High Court on August 11, alleged that the Lokayukta, while filing the special leave petition before the SC, have attached a 6-page order on April 5 which is non-existent. The MLA said while HC passed a 2-page order dismissing the review petition by Lokayukta, the bench of chief justice S Muralidhar and justice Biswanath Rath nowhere passed a 6-page judgement that was cited by the Lokayukta while moving the SC.
While the contempt of court case against the Lokayukta is pending before the HC, Panigrahy on Monday filed an interlocutory application in the case before the SC seeking dismissal of the Lokayukta’s Special Leave Petition which he alleged was filed in an absolutely unethical and improper manner. In the application, Panigrahy also prayed for appropriate proceedings against Lokayukta and his officials over moving the SC citing a non-existent order.
Incidentally, after Panigrahy moved Orissa HC early this month against Lokayukta, the latter filed an application before the HC registrar general seeking withdrawal of his 6-page order. The Chief Justice of Orissa High Court also ordered an in-house inquiry into the matter.
Panigrahy in his application before the SC said a non-existent order formed part of the SLP before the highest court of the country.
“The Lokayukta is a sacrosanct quasi-judicial body comprising of two retired judges of the High Court and one retired DGP did not bother to verify the authenticity of the order of the Registry of the High Court or from the official website of the Court where orders were being regularly uploaded during the pandemic. The genuine order (passed by the HC on April 5) was duly watermarked while the 6-page order cited by the Lokayukta was not even watermarked but still the same was placed on record before the SC without making any efforts to verify the authenticity of the same. The Lokayukta has shaken the trust of the people in the judicial system. A party, especially a quasi-judicial body, for its own and self cause should not be allowed to escape by simply withdrawing the order from the SLP,” Panigrahy wrote in his application.