The Odisha High Court on Friday acquitted US national William Michael Hurtubise, who was arrested by Commissionerate Police on September 18 on the charge of illegal possession of eight 22 mm live bullets in his luggage during a routine check at the Biju Patnaik Airport in Bhubaneswar and quashed the FIR as well as the criminal case pending against him in the lower court.
The judgement came as a huge relief to William, who had been sent to jail, and even after securing bail, was asked by a local court not to leave Bhubaneswar until the case was disposed of.
Justice SC Parija upheld the defence put up by William’s counsel Sarat Kumar Gajendra and said a person carrying bullets without firearm cannot be considered ‘armed’. The judge also disapproved of the manner in which the police dealt with the case as also the fact that he was kept under confinement in Bhubaneswar all these days, lawyer Gajendra said.
The judge ordered refund of the surety money of Rs 50,000 deposited by William for his bail on October 21 and also return of his visa and passport with immediate effect, Gajendra said.
William, an engineer employed with Korean oil exploration company STH, clarified that he was on his way to an offshore oil well in the Bay of Bengal and not to Paradip as the media had reported.
The services of his company were commissioned by the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) of India for oil exploration work in the Bay of Bengal.