High court quashes criminal proceedings against BJD leader

Cuttack: The Orissa high court has quashed the criminal proceedings pending before a judicial magistrate’s court first class (JMFC) against senior BJD leader Ranendra Pratap Swain for allegedly obstructing movement of trains along with party supporters at Rajathagarh railway station seven years back.The single-judge bench of Justice Gourishankar Satapathy nullified the criminal proceedings against the Athagarh MLA, who is currently minister for agriculture and farmers empowerment, on Monday on the ground that cognizance of the offence was taken after the statutory period of two years.Swain along with 150 supporters of BJD obstructed the movement of trains protesting against the action of Chhattisgarh government for construction of a barrage over River Mahanadi on August 3, 2016.A case was registered against the Athagarh MLA under Section 174 (a) of the Railway Act, 1989, (that prescribes punishment of imprisonment up to 2 years or a fine of Rs 2,000 or both) after 2 years, 11 months and 6 days on July 9, 2019. Consequently, the court of JMFC, Sundargarh, took cognizance of the case against Swain after the Railway police, Dhenkanal, initiated criminal proceedings before it.
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