Odisha MLA files contempt petition against state Lokayukta

In the petition, the Gopalpur MLA alleged that Odisha Lokayukta chairperson Ajit Singh and secretary Manas Ranjan Tripathi attached a non-existent order of the Orissa high court while moving the SC against an earlier order of the HC

Published on: Aug 12, 2021, 10:13:33 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Former BJD leader and MLA Pradeep Panigrahy on Wednesday filed a contempt petition against the Odisha Lokayukta in the Orissa high court, alleging that the anti-corruption body belittled the dignity of the court by citing a non-existent order.

Gavel and law books (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

In the petition, the Gopalpur MLA alleged that Odisha Lokayukta chairperson Ajit Singh and secretary Manas Ranjan Tripathi attached a non-existent order of the Orissa high court while moving the SC against an earlier order of the HC.

The Lokayukta in December last year issued a probe order against the former BJD leader following a complaint that he had amassed assets disproportionate to his known source of income. The Lokayukta asked the directorate of Vigilance to submit report within two months.

The Orissa high court in February this year quashed the Lokayukta’s order for a probe. It 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.

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The anti-corruption body then moved a review petition before the high court which was again dismissed in April 5. The Lokayukta then moved the apex court trough a Special Leave Petition (SLP) against the high court orders in February and review petition orders in April this year, calling it unfair.

In his contempt petition to the high court, Panigrahy alleged that the Lokayukta, while filing the SLP, attached a six-page order on April 5 which is non-existent. The MLA said the high court passed a two-page order dismissing the review petition, adding that the six-page judgement cited by the Lokayukta was not passed by the bench of chief justice S Muralidhar and justice Biswanath Rath.

“It is not known from which source such an order was obtained by the office of the Lokayukta. A non-existent order forms part of the SLP before the highest court of the country. The Lokayukta is a sacrosanct quasi judicial body comprising 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,” Panigrahy said in his contempt petition.

Panigrahy was arrested on December 3 last year on charges of forgery, criminal conspiracy and cyber crime. He was released from the jail on June 12 after the high court granted him bail in connection with a job fraud case.

The three-time MLA was once a close aide of the chief minister Naveen Patnaik before he was expelled from the party for alleged ‘anti-people’ activities.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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