Cuttack: In a big relief for former Minister and Paradip MLA Dr Damodar Rout, the Orissa High Court on Wednesday quashed a case registered against him for using word ‘Harijan’ while addressing a public gathering at Kujang in Jagatsinghpur district in 2010.
Rout was charge-sheeted for referring to the then Jagatsinghpur MLA and senior BJD leader and former Minister Bishnu Charan Das, the then Jagatsinghpur MP Bibhu Prasad Tarei and the then Jagatsinghpur Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Upendra Mallick as “Harijans” at a public meeting at Kujang in August 2010.
The Kujang police had registered a case against Rout on August 16, 2010, for his controversial remarks against the lawmakers and ADM. However, Rout had secured bail from the local judicial magistrate’s court.
Subsequently, Rout had moved the HC seeking dropping of charges against him. Hearing the petition, the court had restrained Kujang police from taking action against Rout till final disposal of the case.
The quashing of the case by the High Court has come as a major relief for the veteran leader ahead of the elections.
