Paradip, March 15: BJD MLA from Jagatsinghpur Bishnu Charan Das had submitted a false affidavit at the time of submitting his nomination papers in 2009 Assembly polls by suppressing ownership of his landed property, says a ruling given by the Jagatsinghpur sub-collector.

The sub-collector, while adjudicating a petition moved by Jagatsinghpur block Congress president Laxmi Narayan Samantray, has found the legislator guilty of suppressing facts.

The veteran BJD leader and former minister, Das, was accused of not submitting the ownership of landed property that his spouse owned within the Jagatsinghpur municipality jurisdiction.

The affidavit submitted by Das with the state election commission had not mentioned a piece of land, which was in his wife’s name.

“It is established beyond reasonable doubt that the land schedule stands recorded in the name of Sanjukta Das, spouse of Bishnu Charan Das,” and the contention of the petitioner is “found to be correct,” it stated.

The order said Das was liable to be penalised under Section 125 (A) of the Representation of Peoples Act, Section 177 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 195 CrPC.

The order will cause a setback to the party’s strongman from the coastal district. The party is yet to announce its nominees for Jagatsinghpur district, which will go to polls in the second phase on April 17.

It may be recalled here that Das, who was the schools and mass education minister in the Naveen Patnaik government, had to resign following allegations of manipulation of his son’s mark sheet in the high school examination.

Das said: “The order, passed by the sub-collector, is arbitrary as he is not empowered to do so. Instead of pronouncing a verdict, he should have submitted the inquiry report to the Election Commission. I will move Orissa High Court and challenge it.