CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the central govt seeking clarification regarding the Padma Award given to Antaryami Mishra in the field of literature & education in 2023.
The court has also ordered personal appearance of both the Antaryami Mishras on February 24 to substantiate their claims.
Justice SK Panigrahi issued the notice on a petition filed by a person bearing the same name Antaryami Mishra who claimed that though his name was included in the Padma Shri Awardee list, declared on January 25, 2023, another person had secured it by impersonating him.
The petition was filed on March 29, 2023. Taking the allegation on record, Justice Panigrahi said, "This Court finds it rather surprising that, despite the state government playing a key role in the verification process, and various paraphernalia are followed before the Padma Shri Award is declared, yet such type of claim and counterclaim kind of situation arises just because the names are identical."
“Considering the seriousness of the dispute, this court deems it appropriate to direct the physical presence of both the petitioner and Antaryami Mishra who received the Padma Shri Award in 2023 before on February 24, at 2 pm," Justice Panigrahi said.
" It is further directed that both shall produce all relevant publications and materials before this court to substantiate their respective claims regarding the conferment of the Padma Shri Award," Justice Panigrahi added in the order.
According to the petitioner, he is a doctor by profession and an Odia litterateur. He has authored 29 books in Odia and other Indian languages. In recognition to his contributions to literature, his name was included in the Padma Shri Awardee list which was declared in the year 2023.
Conversely, the person who received the award, is a journalist by profession but having the same name with zero authorship, the petitioner alleged seeking the court's intervention.