BERHAMPUR: Ganjam District Session Court on Friday upheld the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate’s order on presence of counsel, family or friends of arrested Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda during police interrogation. However, the court made some minor modifications to the conditions laid down by the SDJM for the interrogation.
Sabyasachi’s counsel, Deepak Kumat Patnaik, said the Maoist leader’s interrogation will be done in the presence of either his family member or friend or advocate. But they will sit at a distance from Sabyasachi so that the conversation between him and the interrogator will not be audible to them. The court suggested that there can be a glass barrier to make interrogation inaudible.
The public prosecutor had filed a revision petition challenging the order of the SDJM court. After hearing of the case, the district court had reserved its verdict and posted it for Friday.
The court directed the investigating officer to give utmost importance to Sabyasachi’s security during interrogation. It stated that Sabyasachi should be visible to his relatives or advocate during the interrogation.