Saudamini Meher, wife of Punjilal Meher, the accused in the sensational Patnagarh parcel bomb wedding gift blast, has alleged that her husband is a victim of ‘trial by media’ and sent legal notices to four media establishments for presenting Punjilal in light of a ‘criminal’ rather than an ‘accused.’
The result of the ‘toxic and incessant propaganda done by the media’, she says in the legal notice, is the Orissa High Court’s denial of bail to Punjilal, who has been in jail for the last 14 months.
Through her lawyer Tirtha Kumar Sahu in Delhi, she has asked the publishers, editors and reporters of the newspapers to tender a public apology for the grievous mental agony and loss of reputation caused to her entire family on account of the media trial. She also seeks damages of Rs 10 lakh each from the four media houses.
Punjilal, a lecturer at Jyoti Vikash Junior College, Patnagarh, in Balangir district, was arrested by the Crime Branch of Odisha police on April 25, 2018, two months after he allegedly sent a parcel bomb disguised as a wedding gift to Patnagarh’s Soumyasekhar Sahu.
The police allege that it was a “revenge killing” by Punjilal, who had been replaced by Soumya’s mother, Sanjukta, as principal of the college.
Soumya, a techie with a Bangalore-based company, married Reema Rani on February 18, 2018; he received a gift five days later, which turned out to be a bomb.
As the parcel was opened, the bomb exploded. Soumya and his grandmother, Jemamani, succumbed to their injuries the same day and Reema was hospitalised with “serious burns”. She was discharged from the hospital after two months, in April 2018.
The case invited huge media and public attention before and after the accused, Punjilal, was arrested.
Now Punjilal is reportedly suffering from several health problems, and his bail application has been rejected both by the ADJ, Patnagarh and by the High Court of Orissa. In its bail-rejection order, on March 25, 2019, the HC described Punjilal in a negative light although he is an under-trial.
The 19-page legal notice, sent by her, quotes several studies and judgements/orders of various HCs and the Supreme Court of India, besides the Indian Constitution and international laws, to substantiate how trial/verdict by media affects the minds of the judges and the right of the accused to a fair trial, which is a vital part of the right to life and liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.
The legal notice also refers to The Law Commission of India, which, in its 200th Report on “Media Trial and Freedom of Expression”, has recommended action against irresponsible reporting by the media in high publicity cases.