Cuttack, March 19: Orissa High Court today allowed Mayurbhanj MP Rama Chandra Hansdah to attend Parliament session for one day tomorrow in CBI custody.
The court allowed the relief to Hansdah taking into consideration the norm that if an MP remains absent for 60 consecutive days during the session, the House could declare his seat vacant.
CBI had arrested Hansdah on November 4 last year for his alleged links with the Nabadiganta Capital Services Pvt Ltd, a major player in the unauthorised deposit collection scam in the state. He has since been lodged at the Jharpada Jail in Bhubaneswar. The suspended BJD leader had filed a bail petition in the Khurda district & sessions judge court after the special CBI court rejected his bail plea.
On February 21, the Khurda court had rejected his plea for interim relief to attend the budget session of Parliament. He had challenged it in a writ petition in the high court.
Senior advocate Pitambar Acharya, who appeared on behalf of Hansdah, had sought relief on the ground that his seat could be vacated if he failed to attend the budget session of Parliament for at least a day before there was a recess on March 21.
In an interim order, the division bench of acting Chief Justice Pradip Mohanty and Justice Biswajit Mohanty "allowed Mayurbhanj MP to attend the Lok Sabha proceedings on Friday (March 20 ) in CBI custody," CBI counsel V. Narasingh told The Telegraph.
The winter session of Parliament was held between November 24 and December 23. The budget session, which began on February 23, will continue till May 8. But there will be a recess between March 21 and April 19 when the standing committee will examine the demand for grants of various ministries.
In its order, the high court has specified that Hansdah will go to Delhi in CBI custody. There the Mayurbhanj MP will be handed over to the security officer of Parliament to attend Lok Sabha proceeding tomorrow. Hansdah will be again produced before the designated CBI court in Bhubaneswar on Monday (March 23) for jail remand, the order said.
