The Orissa High Court on Friday refused to dismiss proceedings against Odisha Infratech in an alleged land grabbing case, where fraudulent...
The Orissa High Court on Friday refused to dismiss proceedings against Odisha Infratech in an alleged land grabbing case, where fraudulent financial transactions were used to con those belonging to the Scheduled Castes, reported Bar and Bench.
The High Court also paved the way for the arrest of Bharatiya Janata Party National Vice President Baijayant Jay Panda and his wife Jagi Mangat Panda, the owners of the company, by reversing all earlier interim orders giving them protection from arrest, according to The Indian Express.
The company has allegedly bought land from landholders belonging to the Scheduled Caste community, and registered the purchased property in the names of people in the SC community. The lands, spanning over seven acres, were later bought at rates 50% under the benchmark value and taken over by the company for real estate work.
The company was charged under provisions of the Scheduled Caste Atrocities Act, Prohibition of Benami Properties Transaction Act, Income Tax, and Odisha Land Reforms Act, reported Live Law. The Pandas had approached the High Court for quashing the first information against them and the company.
During Friday’s hearing, the court of Justice BP Routray said: “I am not inclined to interfere with the criminal proceeding, more particularly at the stage of pending investigation and accordingly, the prayer of...
