CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Monday sought details of the FIRs registered against Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy who has been in judicial custody since the CID-Crime Branch arrested him on December 3 last year in connection with a job scam.The division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice BP Routray sought the details while issuing notice to the State government on a petition filed by Panigrahy.
The High Court had granted him bail on February 24. But he still continues to be in Jharpada jail in Bhubaneswar in connection with other cases registered against him. While citing five FIRs, the petition alleged that Panigrahy is suffering more than once for the same offences and his liberty is being curtailed due to institution of multiple similar FIRs against him.
Senior advocate Pitambar Acharya argued the case for Panigrahy and contended that “the vulnerability of human rights assumes a traumatic torture when the functionaries of the State whose paramount duty is to protect the citizens is used to harass the petitioner and curtail his liberty.”The matter has been posted to May 18 for hearing along with the response from the government.
The petition has also sought direction to transfer all pending criminal proceedings instituted at different police stations to an independent investigating agency for a fair, impartial and proper investigation.
The HC on Monday also issued notices to the government on two other identical petitions which suspended IFA officer Abhay Pathak and his son Akash had filed separately alleging ‘multiple similar FIRs’ against them.