Mahanga double murder: MLA Pratap Jena fails to appear before court over ‘illness’

Cuttack: Mahanga MLA Pratap Jena today failed to appear before the Court of Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC), Salipur in the Mahanga double murder case citing illness.

The legislator submitted a petition through his advocate mentioning that he was unable to appear before the court due to his illness. As per the petition, the MLA was undergoing treatment at the Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar as the treating doctor has advised him bed rest for one month.

Jena prayed the court for dispensing his personal appearance and permitting him to be represented through his counsel under Section 205 of the CrPC.

The court had earlier served a notice to Jena directing him to appear before it on October 31 in connection with the murder of local BJP leader Kulamani Baral and his associate Dibyasingha Baral. The two were allegedly hacked to death near Jankoti village in Mahanga area of Cuttack district on January 2, 2021.

A case has been registered against the accused under Sections 302, 506 and 120-B of the IPC.

Kulamani was reportedly raising the issue of a few ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leaders’ alleged involvement in the misappropriation of funds under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).

Police had booked Jena, then Law Minister, and 12 others in the double murder case on the basis of an FIR lodged by Kulamani’s son Ranjit Kumar Baral.

However, Jena’s name was later dropped from the charge sheet.

Hearing a petition filed by Kulamani’s son, the Salipur JMFC court had directed the police to probe the allegations regarding the Mahanga MLA’s involvement in the case.