HC allows arrested BJD MP to attend parliament

Bhubaneswar, March 19 (IANS) The Odisha High Court on Thursday allowed suspended Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Ramchandra Hansdah, who is currently in jail for his alleged involvement in chit-fund scam, to attend parliament for a day to avoid by-election in his constituency.

He, however, will remain in the custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which will take him to Delhi from jail and hand him over to the security officer of the Lok Sabha.

After the MP from Mayurbhanj Lok Sabha constituency attends parliament, the security officer will hand him over back to the custody of the CBI.

Then the central investigating agency would present him at the designated CBI court in Bhubaneswar by March 23 as per the court order.

"We had prayed the court to allow him to attend the Lok Sabha for a day in order to avoid by-election in the constituency. The court allowed Hansdah to attend Lok Sabha," Hansdah's lawyer Pitambar Acharya said.

Hansdah had urged the court that he be granted permission to attend parliament to retain his membership as the law provides for declaring a seat as vacant if the member fails to attend its sitting for 60 days at a stretch.

The BJD MP was arrested by the CBI for his alleged links with Ponzi firm Naba Diganta Limited and on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating and diversion of funds in November last year.

The CBI has already submitted to the court a charge sheet in the case.