HC pulls up trial court over dismissing discharge petition

Cuttack: The Orissa high court has indicted a trial court for “mechanically dismissing” a discharge petition on the ground that the FIR discloses the commission of a cognizable offence.
The indictment came recently in the case of Ayusmanta Sarangi, principal of Dadhibaman College at Bhatli, who had challenged the order in which the assistant sessions judge-cum-judge (special) for women’s court, Bargarh, had rejected his discharge petition on Oct 17, 2023.
Criminal proceedings had been initiated against him for abetment to suicide by a student following the theft of a mobile phone in the hostel.
Setting aside the trial court order, the single judge bench of Justice S K Panigrahi observed on Mar 28, that upon discovering the theft of the mobile phone, the principal initially convened the students and admonished them regarding heated and vulgar altercation that had occurred between them.
Subsequently, due to the students’ lack of cooperation concerning the theft, the principal opted to inform the guardians of the students about the situation.