Cuttack, March 18: Orissa High Court has urged the Lok Sabha secretariat to explain the method and manner in which 60 days absence of an MP from Parliament session is calculated to declare his seat vacant.

The division bench of acting Chief Justice Pradip Mohanty and Justice Biswajit Mohanty directed the court's registry yesterday to seek the details from the Lok Sabha secretariat while hearing the bail application of Mayurbhanj MP Rama Chandra Hansdah.

The suspended BJD leader has sought bail on the ground that his seat could be vacated if he failed to attend the budget session.

The winter session of Parliament was held between November 24 and December 23. The budget session had started on February 23. The President had issued him summon to attend the session.

According to the norms, if an MP remains absent for 60 consecutive days without permission, the House could declare his seat vacant. The high court will hear Hansdah's petition tomorrow.

Bhoi fined

The high court today imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on Surendra Singh Bhoi, who had challenged the election of BJD MLA Tukuni Sahu from Titilagarh.

Bhoi, who was the Congress candidate for the Titilagarh Assembly seat, was defeated by 14,022 votes. He had sought declaration of election of the BJD candidate as void. He had also sought bypoll, alleging faulty process of voting and counting.

'The single-judge bench of Justice Biswanath Rath dismissed Bhoi's petition and ordered him to pay Rs 1 lakh after evidence was not presented when the case was taken up today,' said Bidyadhar Mishra, who was representing the BJD MLA.

When the matter came up today, Bhoi's counsels withdrew from the case alleging non-cooperation from the petitioner.

Bhoi was neither present nor had given any instructions to his counsels. Recording of evidence had started on February 26. Bhoi had sought time on March 2.

While dismissing the election petition, Justice Rath observed that the time of the court lost due to it amounted to 'abuse of the court'.