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Cuttack, Jan 28: Justice Radha Krushna Patra, who headed the probe into the multi-crore chit fund scam in the state, passed away at the SCB Medical College and Hospital here Wednesday.
A former judge of the Orissa high court, Justice Patra was 72. He was admitted to the hospital January 24 for treatment of pneumonia. He was later shifted to the ICU and kept on ventilator. His condition deteriorated Tuesday evening when he also stopped responding to medicines. The learned judge breathed his last at 9.30am. The hospital’s Emergency wing in-charge Dr Bhubanananda Maharana said, “Apart from pneumonia, he was also suffering from septicemia and cardiac disease.”
He was relatively better yesterday and we were hopeful he would recover. But his condition began to deteriorate later in the evening. ” The state government had constituted the commission headed by Justice RK Patra July 2013 to hear complaints of the depositors and take necessary steps for return of their money invested in various ponzi firms. After three successive extensions, the commission was provided with necessary infrastructure this month for digitisation process. At present, around 10lakh affidavits are pending scrutiny.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik condoled the death and said the state has lost an illustrious son and able and good judge. “As a judge of the Orissa HC, chief justice of the Sikkim high court and head of various commissions of inquiry, Justice Patra always upheld the cause of justice. He earned all-round acclaim for his unwavering commitment to justice,” Patnaik said in his message.
The body of Justice Patra was moved out of SCB to his residence at Gadakhai in the city for family, friends and those in public life to pay their last respects.
