The anti-defection case relating to six former JVM legislators, later switching to the BJP post-elections, has lingered even further since the Speaker court would not meet for at least a month.
During the hearing called on Friday the lawyers from the MLAs’ side presented just one witness instead of last three.
Speaker Dinesh Oraon headed tribunal had ordered to shortlist the remaining witnesses by cutting down the original list of 78 to just 14 and thus the three remained before the six former BJP legislators get a test of the trial.
“Had the three persons turned up today, the next hearing would have left not choice but the MLAs themselves coming for cross examination before the Tribunal which is our main aim now. They just presented one Sambhu Chaurasia who narrated the same old story about February 8, 2015 (the date claimed by the defense side when JVM merged itself into the BJP),” said JVM counsel RN Sahay after the proceedings ended.
The lawyer felt that the step to present just one witness was tactical in nature from the defense side. “It was a clear delaying tactic. Also, the two remaining witnesses have sought the court’s summon to depose themselves which is also a first in this case. Now they would argue for issuing summon on the next date which would delay the case further,” said Sahay.
The defense side did not stop there and petitioned before the Speaker to recall his previous order about truncating the long list of witnesses. Though the Speaker assured to listen to this on the next day but if, the JVM feels, this demand is met all hope to get justice into this came would be shattered.
“The list was shortened only because all the witnesses presented were uttering the same story with no substantial fact coming before the Tribunal. They are not even presenting witnesses properly from the shortened list and have defied the Speaker’s direction to bring at least three-four of them on a single date. Instead, now they are pressing for the original list,” said JVM leader Pradeep Yadav.
Next date of hearing has not been fixed yet since the Assembly’s Budget Session is scheduled to commence on January 17 and would continue till February 7. In no likelihood the case can be heard before the second week of the next month.
“I again presented the comments made by the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha while hearing the anti-defection case of two MPs from Bihar. Speaker’s stenographer took a note of it. But if the Tribunal does not adopt tough stand we don’t see any breakthrough in the case pending for the last nearly three years,” said Sahay.
The JVM has been stressing to call the MLAs namely-Randhir Singh, Amar Kumar Bauri, Alok Chaurasia, Navin Jaiswal, Ganesh Kumar Ganjhu and Janki Prasad Yadav- in the witness box so that its lawyer can get a chance to cross examine the real men behind all this.