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Case filed against State Minister

Correspondent

Accused of filing of false affidavit during Assembly elections

CUTTACK: A complain case was filed at the SDJM court here on Friday against the State Higher Education Minister and BJP leader Samir Dey for submitting "false affidavits" at the time of filing his nomination papers during 2004 Assembly elections. The senior BJP leader had been returning from the prestigious Cuttack city segment for the past three terms continuously.

Following a direction from the Election Commissioner of India, the Cuttack Sadar Sub Collector M K Rath, who is also the returning officer of the constituency, filed the case against the Minister urging the court to take cognisance of the matter as Mr. Dey has committed offence under section 177 of IPC (furnishing false information to public servant).

"After investigation and as per the direction of State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) it was found that Mr. Dey had given false information pertaining to pendency of criminal cases against him in courts," Mr. Rath said in his three page petition. Mr. Rath also urged the SDJM court to summon the accused and make him stand trial in the case.

NBWs issue

While four criminal cases were pending against the BJP leader prior to his filing of nomination paper on April 6, 2004, Mr. Dey had not furnished these information in the two affidavits he submitted along with the nomination paper, the petition said. Even NBWs were issued against the BJP leader in three cases. The SDJM court has, however, not taken any cognizance of the petition.

Filing of false affidavit by Mr. Dey was first brought to the light by Cuttack District Congress Committee general secretary Sashi Bhusan Das last year who had petitioned the EC on behalf of the party candidate Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, who had lost to Dey by narrow margin in 2004 polls.

Following a direction from the EC, the Cuttack district administration investigated into the alleged offence and found that the Minister had prima-facie committed the crime. Subsequently, the EC in January this year had directed the district administration to prosecute the offender in appropriate court.

It may be mentioned here that when issue of pending NBWs against the Minister surfaced in 2005, opposition Congress members had made a ruckus in the Assembly demanding Mr Dey's resignation from the cabinet. The Opposition leaders were baying for his blood following the then State Women and Child Development Minister Pramila Mallick's resignation on similar allegation.

Later another BJP legislator Pradipta Naik, who was holding the labour and employment portfolio, was also forced to put in his papers following a case was registered against him for filing false affidavit.

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