Odisha HC quashes poll-related case against Minister

Cuttack: The Orissa High Court today quashed trial court proceedings against Junagarh MLA and Minister for Industries and MSME Dibya Shankar Mishra in connection with a false poll affidavit case.

During hearing of a petition moved by Mishra, the High Court’s single-Judge bench of Justice Shatrughna Pujari quashed the trial proceedings at the Junagarh JMFC court against the Minister.

Alleging that Mishra hid information about his property at Raipur in Chhattisgarh in his poll affidavit during 2014 general election, RTI activist Govardhan Das lodged a complaint case in the Junagarh JMFC court. On October 13, 2014 the JMFC Court took cognizance against Mishra. Challenging the JMFC court’s directive, Mishra knocked the doors of the HC.

In his petition, Mishra stated he sold the property in Raipur on March 19, 2014 after getting an NOC from the Chhattisgarh Housing Board Estate Office. The sale deed of the property was also registered at the concerned office. Hence he did not mention about his Raipur property in the poll affidavit filed on March 21, 2014. His counsel Debashis Panda argued in the HC that the allegations were baseless.