Odisha: HC Breather For Bidya Bharati In ACF Soumya Death Case

Cuttack: In a breather for wife of deceased Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Soumya Ranjan Mohapatra, Bidya Bharati Panda, the Orissa High Court on Tuesday ordered for no coercive action against her till the next hearing on July 27.

The ruling followed a hearing on the Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) issued against her by the court of Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM), Paralakhemundi, on July 1 after she failed to depose in connection with the case despite repeated reminders.

Speaking to the media, Soumya’s family lawyer, Partha Sarathi Nayak, said that the lower court had rejected Bidya Bharati’s petition filed under 205 of CRPC (exempting her from personal appearance in court) and issued an NBW against her. “The HC has now ordered for no coercive action against her and posted the final hearing for July 27,” he said.

The HC had issued a similar ruling for former Gajapati Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sangram Behera, who was also summoned by the lower court.

Nayak further said that hearing on Bidya Bharati’s petition, challenging the cognisance order, is yet to take place. “Since another petition filed by Behera is slated for July 27, the court is likely to take up all these petitions on that day,” he added.

The two had filed separate petitions in the High Court challenging the directive of Paralakhemundi SDJM Court, which had in April summoned the duo and cook Manmath Kumbha to appear before it on July 7 on the basis of a petition filed by the deceased’s father. Bidya Bharati had first challenged the order taking cognizance of the murder complaint. Later, she had also challenged the NBW order.

Earlier in the day, local channels had reported that she was not found at her village in Mayurbhanj district when police went there to execute the NBW.

It may be recalled here that Soumya Ranjan Mohapatra was rescued from his official quarters in Paralakhemundi with 90 per cent burn injuries on July 12, 2021, and succumbed the next day at a private hospital in Cuttack. The deceased’s family members later alleged that his spouse and Behera could be behind the incident, which gave a controversial twist to the tragic death of the young forest officer.

In October 2021, the Crime Branch said that the ACF had died due to accidental fire at his home. “No evidence could be gathered to prove any conspiracy between the deceased’s wife, DFO and cook,” then ADG (Crime Branch) Sanjeeb Panda had said.

Indicting his wife of being negligent and callous, leading to his death, the Crime Branch had filed the chargesheet against her under Sections 304-A (causing death by negligence) and 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter) of the IPC.