Speaker sets deadline to present witnesses

Long pending case of the six JVM legislators switching sides to the BJP post 2014 Assembly elections witnessed an interesting turn when the Speaker decided to sit on a week-to-week basis to hear it. Also, each of the MLAs in question would get just a single day to present all his witnesses whatsoever may be their number.

Speaker Dinesh Oraon directed this on Friday when the lawyers from the legislators’ side argued to restore the original list of witnesses presented, i.e. 78, and call each one of them for testimony.

“Their lawyers urged to the tribunal to reconsider its earlier order which was about cutting short of witnesses from 78 to just 14 citing inordinate delay already in the case. They said that it would be against the natural justice and the rule in such matters says that every opportunity should be provided to aggrieved parties before coming to a decision. To this, the Speaker allowed recalling his earlier order with certain conditions,” said an Assembly official present in the court room.

The Speaker expressing his anguish over inordinate time already taken by the defense in presenting witnesses ruled that each of the MLA would get just one day to present all its witnesses for testimony. “It means the six dates would be given to the six MLAs to bring their witnesses and record their statements. Another six days would be given to them for their own testimonies. Thereafter, the final arguments would start,” said JVM advocate RN Sahay. At the same time, the court also fixed every Friday, barring holidays, as hearing date starting March 9.

Earlier, the tribunal had ordered to shortlist the remaining witnesses by cutting it down to just 14 to expedite the case. It was done on the plea of the JVM which alleged the defense for presenting very few witnesses on every single date “understandably to buy time and linger the case. There is no meaning of any judgment when next Assembly election comes close. We have always demanded to decide the matter soon and bring the MLAs into the witness box,” added Sahay.

MLAs namely-Randhir Singh, Amar Kumar Bauri, Alok Chaurasia, Navin Jaiswal, Ganesh Kumar Ganjhu and Janki Prasad Yadav- had changed their sides and defected from their original party JVM to support the ruling BJP. The change of heart provided additional cushion to the saffron party with 43 members in the House of 81.