CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has issued a show cause contempt notice to an advocate’s clerk, who had sworn an affidavit in a bail application of an accused on the basis of a forged medical certificate.
Sibaram Sahu, an accused in a criminal case registered at Pattapur police station in Aska area of Ganjam district, had sought interim bail on the ground of ailment of his father. On the basis of the medical certificate, it was claimed that Sibaram’s father had undergone treatment at a private clinic.
The authenticity of the certificate was verified after the State counsel raised doubt over it. The IIC of Pattapur police station verified the document from the private clinic.Accordingly, the State counsel on Monday submitted a report which said the authority of the private clinic informed that no such certificate has been issued by their clinic.
Taking note of it, Justice SK Sahoo observed, “Srikanta Behera, advocate’s clerk, has sworn the affidavit in the interim application. Issue notice to Srikanta Behera, advocate’s clerk, as to why proceeding under the Contempt of Courts Act shall not be initiated against him for filing false affidavit. The show cause shall be filed by January 21, 2021.” The matter has been listed on January 25.
This is the fifth case of forged medical certificate used for seeking interim bail to be detected by the High Court in less than a month. Earlier in the four cases detected on December 21, interim bail was sought on the basis of forged and fabricated medical certificates issued by a non-existing associate professor of the Medicine department at the SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack.