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Kandhamal probe panel appointment challenged

Correspondent

CUTTACK: Utkal Christian Council, which had earlier moved the High Court seeking CBI probe into Kandhamal violence, has once again approached the HC challenging the appointment of Justice S.C. Mohapatra to head the Commission of enquiry which is now probing the matter.

The Council member Jyotshna Rani Patra in her petition has alleged that the appointment of Justice Mohapatra, the former Lok Pal, has been made with a malafide intention to defeat the purpose of the probe. “Since section 5 (3) of Orissa Lok Pal and Lokayuktas Act-1995 debars a former Lok Pal to hold any further employment under State government, Justice Mohapatra’s appointment to head the probe panel is illegal”, the petitioner said.

The petition further contended that even some provisions of Commission of Enquiry Act-1952 are also violated in appointment of Justice Mohapatra to head the probe panel since the former Lok Pal is “ineligible’ to head such probe panel.

Alleging that Justice Mohapatra is appointed to frustrate the ultimate purpose of the probe, the petitioner said this has been done to with a view to protect the fundamentalist groups which were behind the Kandhamal violence that unfolded after the death of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati on August 23.

It may be recalled here that the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on August 24 had announced for a judicial probe into the Kandhamal strife.

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