Panigrahy seeks proceedings against Lokayukta

CUTTACK:  The controversy over Odisha Lokayukta filing a special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court on the basis of ‘a six-page non-genuine order’ purportedly issued by the Orissa High Court has taken a new turn.

While the Lokayukta has filed an application seeking withdrawal of the ‘six-page non-genuine order’ from the SLP, Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahy on Monday filed an application in the Supreme Court for appropriate proceedings against the petitioner for it.

Panigrahy’s counsel Pitambar Acharya told TNIE that, “The application has also sought dismissal of the SLP along with punitive and exemplary costs on the petitioner”.The controversy had sparked off after Panigrahy filed a contempt petition in the Orissa High Court on August 11 alleging about filing of the SLP with the ‘non-genuine order’. The contempt petition has not been taken up for hearing so far.

However, according to Panigrahy’s petition filed in the Supreme Court, the Lokayukta had immediately requested the High Court’s Registrar General to conduct an inquiry into the matter and ascertain how the alleged non-genuine order was uploaded in the official website. The Chief Justice had also directed an in-house inquiry into the matter for a report to be submitted within a week after certain prima facie findings in preliminary probe on August 13.

“But the Lokayukta without even waiting for one week for the in-house inquiry to be completed as ordered by the Chief Justice, filed an application seeking withdrawal of the six-page non-genuine order in haste using an interim report to absolve itself from his unjust conduct”, Panigrahy pointed out in his application.
The Lokayukta had filed the SLP against the February 3 HC order which had quashed the anti-corruption watchdog’s direction for a probe by the State Vigilance against the former minister. On April 23, the Supreme Court acting on the SLP had stayed the HC order and issued notice to Panigrahy.