Orissa HC quashes Lokayukta order for vigilance probe against Gopalpur MLA

The Orissa High Court onWednesday quashed an order of the Lokayukta for a Vigilanceprobe into the corruption charges against Gopalpur MLA PradeepKumar Panigrahi.

Hearing a petition filed by the MLA, the court in itsruling said that such a direction is not acceptable as thestate vigilance was a petitioner before the Lokayukta and acomplainant cannot be the investigator in quasi-judcialproceedings, senior advocate Pitambar Acharya who appeared forPanigrahi said.

In December last, the anti-corruption ombudsman haddirected the Vigilance to conduct a preliminary inquiryagainst the Gopalpur MLA and submit a report within twomonths.

The Lokayukta directive had come on the basis of acomplaint filed by a DSP rank officer of the Vigilance.

Based on information given by vigilance sleuths, theDSP had made the complaint to the Lokayukta against the MLA,who was expelled from primary membership of the ruling BJD oncharge of ''anti-people'' activities.

Panigrahi had challenged the Lokayukta order on thegrounds of violating his Fundamental Rights as enshrined inthe Indian Constitution.

''The actions of the Lokayukta were also in derogationof provisions prescribed in Odisha Lokayukta Act of 2014'',Acharya said.