The District and Sessions Court here on Friday made a minor modification to the condition laid down by the SDJM Court for interrogation of Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda.
“Sabyasachi’s interrogation will be done in the presence of either his kin or friend or advocate, but they will be made to sit at a distance from him so as to make the conversation between him and the interrogator inaudible to them.
The court suggested that there can be a glass wall between the two during Sabyasachi’s interrogation,” the Maoist’s counsel Deepak Patnaik told reporters after the ruling.
The Public Prosecutor had filed a revision petition challenging the order of the SDJM Court.
“Taking into account Sabyasachi’s prayer that there is a threat to his life, the court directed the Investigating Officer (IO) to give utmost importance to it during interrogation. Moreover, the court said Sabyasachi should be fully visible to his kin or advocate during the interrogation,” Patnaik said.
Sabyasachi Panda had written a letter to the District and Sessions Judge, which his advocate Patnaik submitted to the judge on Thursday. The letter by Panda had claimed that there was a threat to his life and prayed for adherence to the guidelines issued by the SDJM Court for his interrogation by the authorities.