BJD MLA's anticipatory bail plea rejected

CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Thursday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of BJD MLA of Dhamnagar constituency, Muktikant Mandal in connection with a murder case of 2002.
While hearing to a petition alleging Mandal’s role in murder of one Niranjan Jena in 2002, the Orissa high court in September had directed a lower court in Bhadrak to make Mandal an accused in the case .
The high court had also directed lower court to conclude hearing of the case within 6 months.
After the court’s direction, the MLA had filed anticipatory bail plea in the high court. However, opposite parties opposed the bail plea vehemently. “We prayed before the court that Mandal’s bail plea is not maintainable at all as it will affect the justice process. The court took note of it,” said a counsel representing Jena’s family.
As per case details, one Niranjan Jena was killed in Bhadrak 2002. Jena’s family members had accused Mandal of killing him and had also mentioned his name in the FIR. But subsequently police had dropped Mandal’s name from the chargesheet under mysterious circumstances. Aggrieved by it, Jena’s family had moved trial court and later to the high court praying to include Mandal’s name in the case and initiate trial against him.