BERHAMPUR: In a major relief to Berhampur MP and BJP leader Pradeep Panigrahy, a local court acquitted him of the all the job fraud charges on Wednesday.
The Berhampur JMFC (rural) court, also the special designated court for MPs and MLAs, exonerated Panigrahy in three fraud cases registered against him on charges of cheating unemployed youths on the false pretext of providing jobs in an automobile company.
Panigrahy’s counsel Deepak Patnaik said the court acquitted the MP due to lack of evidence. A total of five job fraud cases were registered in Golanthara and Baidyanathpur police stations against him. On Tuesday, he was acquitted by the court in two cases. Former IFS officer Abhay Pathak and his son Akash, who were co-accused in one of the two cases, were also exonerated.
During the trial, Patnaik said, all the five complainants told the court that they had not engaged in any financial transaction with Panigrahy. They also testified that senior officials of Ganjam district and BJD leaders pressurised them to lodge FIRs against Panigrahy and others. All the complainants had already withdrawn their statements against the MP in the court.
Panigrahy was arrested by the CID of Crime Branch, Odisha on December 3, 2020 in connection with the job fraud allegations when he was a BJD MLA. Subsequently, he was expelled from the regional outfit. The Orissa High Court granted him bail on June 11, 2021. Later, Panigrahy joined BJP and was elected as the MP of Berhampur last year.
On the day, hundreds of Panigrahy’s supporters reached his house at Courtpeta chowk to celebrate the court’s verdict. They distributed sweets and burst firecrackers in celebration.
Following his acquittal, the MP said the previous BJD government registered the five cases against him by misusing power and politics. “I and my family suffered immensely due to the revenge politics of BJD. The conspirators will now face the consequences,” he said.
Panigrahy, once close to BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik, was elected thrice as MLA of Gopalpur assembly seat on a BJD ticket. He was also a cabinet minister in the BJD government.