Cuttack: Orissa High Court has directed the CBI court to take "expeditious step" and complete witness examination connected to the trial of Lok Sabha MP Ramchandra Hansdah, who was arrested for his alleged links with Nabadiganta Capital Services
Hansdah, who was elected on a BJD ticket before being suspended by the party soon after his arrest by the CBI in November 2014, has since been lodged at Jharpada jail in Bhubaneswar.
While rejecting the MP's bail plea last July, the high court had directed the CBI court "to expedite the trial and conduct it on day-to-day basis and make every endeavour to conclude it by end of December 2017" as the petitioner had remained in custody for more than two years and eight months.
The high court also allowed Hansdah to renew his plea for bail before the trial court after examination of the 18 witnesses according to the list submitted by the CBI.
Hansdah had turned to the high court again after the CBI court rejected his bail petition on January 27.
The high court noted that 16 of the 18 witnesses listed earlier had been examined in the trial court and then the CBI had filed an additional charge sheet as it had found some more material against Hansdah. The CBI then submitted a fresh list of 45 witnesses, out of which five witnesses had attributed specific role played by Hansdah in the alleged scam.
While rejecting Hansdah's bail petition on Friday, the single judge bench of Justice S.K. Sahoo directed the trial court to "take expeditious step" for examination of the five witnesses at the first instance apart from examining the two left from the previous list.
"After the examination of those witnesses, the petitioner may renew his prayer for bail before the trial court," Justice Sahoo said in his order.
Hansdah had pleaded for bail citing the release of two co-accused - ex-MLAs Hitesh Bagarti and Subarna Naik - on bail by the high court.
"The principle of grant of bail on parity cannot be allowed to be carried to an absurd or illogical conclusion so as to put a judge in tight and straitjacket to grant bail automatically," Justice Sahoo said.
