Bring back women’s cases to Kotpad court: Dian

JEYPORE:  State Textile Minister and Kotpad MLA Padmini Dian on Tuesday urged the State Law Minister Pratap Jena to consider a roll back of women-related cases from Jeypore to Kotpad court. The locals and Kotpad bar association members had demanded the same two days back.

In a letter, Dian said the shifting will inconvenience locals, especially tribal women, who live in far away areas and have to traverse 80 km to reach Jeypore. Previously, the trial of women-related cases was being conducted in the JMFC for the past three decades, facilitating people of around 17 blocks and Kotpad NAC who could avail the legal services conveniently. However, with the inception of a women’s court in Jeypore from this month, the High Court directed all related cases to be shifted to the unit, drawing flak from various sectors.  

Earlier, members of the bar association had sent a memorandum to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Chief Justice of Orissa High Court Dr S Muralidhar and district judge of Jeypore, putting forth their demand for rollback of decision to shift trials to Jeypore.  Bar association president Mani Patnaik had said the members would take to the streets if their demand was not met at the earliest.