SC Jolt To Odisha MLA Pradeep Panigrahi

New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: The Supreme Court on Thursday overturned the Orissa High Court’s order, quashing Lokayukta’s directive for a Vigilance probe against Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahi.

The Lokayukta had challenged the order in the apex court.

On December 11 2020, state Lokayukta directed the Vigilance Directorate to investigate the corruption allegations levelled against the legislator and submit a report within two months. Panigrahi moved the HC, which on February 3, 2021, dismissed the order, stating that a complainant cannot be the investigator in a quasi-judicial proceeding. The court also took strong exception to the statement of the Lokakyuta, prior to the preliminary inquiry, that the State Vigilance, through a secret verification, had found evidence of corruption against Panigrahi.

This was the first case of corruption allegations that has been referred to the Lokayukta by the state government after its formation and it issued the directive after accepting the recommendation of the Chief Minister.

Notably, Crime Branch arrested the MLA on December 3, 2020, in connection with a case registered with the Cyber police station. He was arrested under Sections 419, 420, 467, 468, 469, 471, 120-B of the IPC and Section 66C/66D of the IT Act.  It was alleged that he had collected money on behalf of Akash Kumar Pathak (son of the suspended IFS officer Abhay Kant Pathak) by falsely promising jobs at Tata Motors.

An investigation revealed that Panigrahi had collected money from people on behalf of Akash Pathak, son of suspended IFS officer Abhay Pathak, on the false promise of providing jobs in Tata Motors. The case related to impersonation, cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy and other cyber offences by Akash Pathak, the Crime Branch had earlier said.