SC declines to interfere against HC reprieve to ex-min in Mahanga double murder case

Cuttack: Supreme Court has dismissed a special leave petition (SLP) challenging an Orissa high court order which quashed the order of the court of judicial magistrate first class (JMFC), Salepur that had taken cognisance of offences against former BJD minister Pratap Jena as an accused in the Mahanga double murder case.The SLP was filed by Ranjit Kumar Baral, the younger son of BJP leader and chairman of Mahanga block, Kulamani Baral, who was killed, along with an associate, on Jan 2, 2021, while they were returning home on motorcycle.Initially, the double murder case was registered on a complaint filed by Ramakant Baral, the older son of Kulamani. Later after Ramakant’s death, Ranjit filed a fresh complaint. Ranjit had challenged the high court’s Oct 1, 2024, order.“We are not inclined to interfere with the impugned judgment/order of the high court,” SC’s two-judge bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh stated on Oct 15. Accordingly, the SLP is dismissed.The JMFC’s order, given on Sept 25, 2023, stated, “After going through the statements of the complainant, witnesses and other available materials on record, it found that a prima facie case punishable for the offences under Sections 302, 506, 120 B of the Indian Penal Code is made against the accused, Pratap Jena.”On Oct 1, 2025, the high court had stated that the JMFC’s order is not only unsustainable in the eye of law, but also the proceedings initiated against the petitioner (Pratap Jena) is absolutely without jurisdiction as his name was added as an additional accused who was not charge-sheeted even after two rounds of investigation and the court of sessions (trial court) had already assumed jurisdiction over the matter. “It was the court of sessions which could have passed the order to add the petitioner as an additional accused, but the sessions court had neither invoked its power nor was it moved to arraign the petitioner as an additional accused,” the high court said, adding, “In the interest of justice, the impugned order being unsustainable together with proceedings against the petitioner (Pratap Jena) is liable to be quashed.”On Aug 28, 2024, the court of additional sessions judge, Salepur, convicted nine of the accused in the Mahanga double murder case and awarded life imprisonment to them. The court, however, acquitted another accused due to lack of evidence.‘You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Bhubaneswar | Silver Rate in Bhubaneswar | Bank Holidays in Bhubaneswar | Public Holidays in Bhubaneswar | Petrol Price in Bhubaneswar | Diesel Price in Bhubaneswar | CNG Price in Bhubaneswar | LPG Price in BhubaneswarStay updated with the latest Bhubaneswar news. Download the TOI App.