TV
In a big relief to Pratap Jena in Mahanga double murder case, the Orissa High Court on Tuesday gave him a clean chit.
Hearing the petition filed by Jena, the state’s apex court set aside the verdict of the lower court and gave him a clean chit in the sensational double murder case. He had moved the High Court against the Salepur Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) verdict.
As per reports, Jena was the accused number 13 in the case. As his name was missing from the charge sheet, the Salipur JMFC court had directed for a reinvestigation. Later, the police had added his name. The court had taken cognizance of offenses against Jena as an accused in the case. Then, Jena had moved the High Court challenging the lower court’s taking cognizance of the charge against him. In his petition, Jena had prayed for quashing the order of JMFC, Salepur.
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“The court said the entire criminal proceedings against Pratap Jena have been quashed,” said Anshuman Ray, Pratap Jena’s advocate.
On January 2, 2021, BJP leader Kulamani Baral, 74, who was the block chairman of Mahanga, and his associate Dibyasingha Baral, 82, were brutally killed by unidentified miscreants near Jankoti village under Mahanga block in Cuttack, while they were returning home on a motorbike.
Later, the prime accused in the case, Prafulla Biswal was found dead under mysterious circumstances.
The family of the deceased alleged that both Kulamani and Dibyasingha were murdered on the orders of Pratap Jena.
