Bhubaneswar: The Supreme Court has provided interim protection from arrest to Odisha’s Leader of Opposition (LoP) and BJP MLA, Jaynarayan Mishra, in connection with a case involving the alleged abuse of a woman police officer. The relief was granted by a two-judge bench comprising Justices Hrishikesh Roy and Prashant Kumar Mishra. Additionally, the bench issued notices to the Odisha government, calling for a response within four weeks.
The apex court’s decision comes in response to Mishra’s appeal challenging the Orissa High Court’s order of November 23, 2023, which had rejected his plea for anticipatory bail in the said case.
Senior lawyer Maninder Singh, representing Mishra, argued before the court, emphasizing that his client, being an MLA and the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, had not been summoned in the case. Singh contended that the state High Court should have taken these factors into consideration and granted relief to Mishra.
The case revolves around allegations that Mishra assaulted a woman police officer, accusing her of accepting bribes during a BJP protest in Sambalpur on February 15 of the previous year. The complainant, Anita Pradhan, who is also the IIC of Dhanupali police station, reported the incident.
Mishra, the MLA from Sambalpur, has vehemently denied the charges, asserting that Pradhan had pushed him. The Supreme Court’s decision to provide interim protection marks a significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings, offering temporary relief to the Odisha Leader of Opposition.
