The Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM), Puri has ordered former BDO of Puri Sadar Nimai Charan Sutar and environment activist Jagannath Bastia for appearance while entertaining a plaint of cheating and conspiracy and other criminal charges against them.
The court summon has held that a plaint on behalf of the Hotel Association of Puri holds prime facie evidence against Bastia and Sutar as accused.
With this, the Prakruti Mitra award of the Forest and Environment Department of Odisha has entered into controversy for allegedly wrongfully bestowing upon Bastia thrice during the period of 1997 to 2012 in utter violation of norms and guidelines. Serious criminal charges such as cheating, submission of false evidence, dishonestly inducing delivery of property and criminal conspiracy have been framed against Bastia and the former BDO who is presently working as ADM of Nabarangapur.
The petitioner charged that Bastia who runs the ‘Beach Protection Council of Odisha’ is in a habit of a taking undue advantage of his illusory position for his personal gains. By falsely styling himself as a social worker and environmental activist without any educational qualification and special trainings in the science and law and environment, he received ‘Prakruti Mitra’ thrice with a cash prize of Rs 10,000, reads the plaint accusing Sutar of being a hand in glove with him.
On behalf of the Hotel Association, lawyer Durga Pradad Rath has lodged the plaint.