Bhubaneswar, January 8: Pradeep Panigrahi, the senior BJP leader and Member of Parliament (MP) from Berhampur, was acquitted on Tuesday in two fraud cases by the Judicial Magistrate of First Class (JMFC) - Rural. Along with Panigrahi, Abhay Kant Pathak and his son Akash Pathak were also cleared of all charges.
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The three had been facing accusations of accepting bribes for giving employment to youths at Tata Motors, in cases registered at the Golanthara and Baidyanathpur police stations in the Ganjam district. During the hearing, all accused showed their innocence, asserting that the charges were politically motivated.
The court dismissed the accusations, calling them unfounded.
Panigrahi termed the charges as a deliberate misuse of power aimed at tarnishing his reputation and eroding public trust in the political system.
The MP further said that the court's decision reaffirmed the triumph of truth over falsehood. He also expressed gratitude to the judicial system for upholding justice.
