ACF death case: Wife Bidyabharati gets relief from HC
Bidya Bharati Panda, the wife of deceased Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Soumya Ranjan Mohapatra, was granted a reprieve by the Orissa High Court on Tuesday, ordering that no coercive action be taken against her until the next hearing on July 27.
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Cuttack: Bidya Bharati Panda, the wife of deceased Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Soumya Ranjan Mohapatra, was granted a reprieve by the Orissa High Court on Tuesday, ordering that no coercive action be taken against her until the next hearing on July 27.
According to reports, the ruling came after a hearing on the Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) issued against her by the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM), Paralakhemundi, after she failed to depose in connection with the case despite repeated reminders.
Soumya's family lawyer, Partha Sarathi Nayak, told the media that the lower court rejected Bidya Bharati's petition under 205 of the CRPC (exempting her from personal appearance in court) and issued an NBW against her.
Former Gajapati Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sangram Behera, who was also summoned by the lower court, received a similar ruling from the HC.
Nayak also stated that the hearing on Bidya Bharati's petition challenging the cognisance order has yet to occur. "Because another petition filed by Behera is scheduled for July 27, the court will most likely hear all of these petitions on that day," he added.
The two had filed separate petitions in the High Court challenging the order of the Paralakhemundi SDJM Court, which summoned the duo and cook Manmath Kumbha in April on the basis of a petition filed by the deceased's father.
On July 12, 2021, Soumya Ranjan Mohapatra was rescued from his official quarters in Paralakhemundi with 90% burn injuries and died the next day at a private hospital in Cuttack. The deceased's family members later claimed that his wife and Behera were involved in the incident, adding a contentious twist to the tragic death of the young forest officer.
The Crime Branch announced in October 2021 that the ACF died as a result of an accidental fire at his home. "No evidence could be gathered to prove any conspiracy between the deceased's wife, DFO, and cook," ADG (Crime Branch) Sanjeeb Panda said at the time.
The Crime Branch had filed a chargesheet against his wife under Sections 304-A (causing death by negligence) and 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter) of the IPC, accusing her of being negligent and callous, which led to his death.
