HC takes stock of progress in Patnagarh parcel bomb case

Cuttack: The more than two-year-old sensational Patnagarh parcel bomb explosion case is back in focus with the Orissa high court deciding to take stock of the progress in the trial proceedings after it was alleged that it is yet to take off.
The incident had triggered shockwaves across the state when newly-married Soumya Sekhar Sahu and his grandmother were killed after a wedding gift received through courier exploded at their house in Patnagarh on February 23, 2018. His wife was critically injured in the explosion.
The case created a sensation when Punjilal Meher, who was an English lecturer at Jyoti Bikash College at Bhainsa near Patnagarh was arrested two months later after a CID-Crime Branch probe indicated that he was the alleged mastermind and executioner of the parcel bomb explosion.
The CID-Crime Branch filed a final chargesheet against Punjilal Meher as the alleged mastermind of the case in the court of additional district and sessions judge at Balangir in January 2019.
Punjilal, also a former principal, had allegedly hatched the conspiracy to settle scores with Sanjukta, mother of the deceased Soumya Sekhar after she took over as the new principal of the college, the chargesheet reportedly said.
On Monday, during hearing through video conference on the bail plea of Punjilal it was submitted on his behalf that he is in judicial custody since April 2018 and no charge has been framed even as the case has already been committed to the sessions court.
Taking note of it the single judge bench of Justice S K Sahoo said, “In view of such submission, let a report be called for from the court of learned additional sessions judge, Patnagarh, regarding the status of the case and more specifically reasons for non-framing of charge.
The report should reach this court on or before July 6, 2020, the bench specified in its order while directing to put up the matter one week after. The high court had earlier rejected his bail plea in March last year.