Nichintakoili: The much-hyped Mahanga double murder case took an interesting turn Wednesday as the court of the Additional District-cum-Sessions Judge (ADJ), Salipur rejected two revision petitions filed by Mahanga police challenging the order of a Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) for fresh investigation into the case and submission of call detail records (CDRs) of three persons.
The court of ADJ heard the two revision petitions Tuesday but had reserved its order. The court made its ruling Wednesday and quashed the two revision petitions.
The order has mounted further trouble for the Mahanga police. Earlier, the court of the JMFC had directed the Mahanga police to file a fresh investigation report and submit CDR by 10.30 am of December 10 and issued a show-cause notice to the IIC of Mahanga police station asking why action would not be taken against him.
Challenging the decision of the JMFC court, advocate Santosh Moon on behalf of the Mahanga police had filed the petition in the ADJ court on the basis of a letter issued by the Cuttack SP and the affidavit of the Mahanga IIC. However, the ADJ quashed the two petitions.
It was learnt that the state government might approach the High Court in the case. Earlier, November 20, the JMFC, Salipur had expressed displeasure over the slow pace of investigation into the Mahanga double murder case in which the name of Law Minister Pratap Jena figured in the FIR.
The court had directed Mahanga police for fresh probe and submit CDRs of Bapi Biswal, the minister’s assistant, Sarat Chandra Naik, Mahanga block chairperson and the deceased Prafulla Biswal who is the prime accused for the period between December 2020 and February 2021. Notably, BJP leader Kulamani Baral and his associate Dibyasingha Baral were hacked to death, January 2, 2021.
After investigation, police had filed a charge sheet against 14 accused, but allegedly dropped the name of Minister Pratap Jena.
PNN
