HC Quashes Anti-Dalit Charge Against Dama Rout

Cuttack: Orissa High Court on Wednesday quashed the anti-Dalit charge against former BJD leader Damodar Rout.

Rout’s counsel Debasish Chhotray told mediapersons that a single-judge bench of Justice P.K. Mishra quashed the proceedings against his client after a complete hearing of the case. “We had placed our arguments before the court, that the words used by Rout as mentioned in the FIR do not violate provisions under the ST and SC Act. The court accepted our arguments and quashed all proceedings,” he said.

During his tenure as agriculture minister, the expelled BJD leader had allegedly made an “anti-Dalit” remark during a public meeting in Paradip on August 16, 2010.

Kujang police had registered a case against Rout the same day, following a complaint by Manoj Bhoi, representative of a Dalit organisation. However, Rout had secured bail from the local judicial magistrate’s court.

Subsequently, Rout moved the High Court to seek dropping of charges against him. Acting on his petition, the court had restrained the police from taking action against Rout till final disposal of the case.