Bhubaneswar: Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi, who also holds the Home portfolio, Monday replying to a question of senior BJD legislator Prasanna Acharya revealed BIG on Odisha neta’s umbilical cord connection with crime.
In a written reply, the CM said as on today, a total of 22 former and present MPs in the State are facing 39 criminal cases. Similarly, a total of 115 former and sitting MLAs are facing trial in as many as 418 criminal cases.
The CM, attributed a high of 43% of cases slapped against netas of the State to political vendetta.
The CM’s said a total of 198 out of 457 criminal cases against MPs/MLAs in the State are of political nature – means cases slapped under IPC by the ruling party against opposition MLAs/MPs for taking part in political protests.
However, an analysis of the data tabled by CM Mohan Majhi shows that a whopping 57% criminal cases against present and former political leaders in the State have been of non-political nature. This big fact brings back into focus the crime-politician nexus in Odisha.
ORISSA HC DATA ON CASES AGAINST ODISHA NETAS
As per the data shared by Orissa HC, as on Feb 28, 2025, the number of cases pending against political leaders (MP/MLAs) in Odisha stood at 453.
The HC data shows the cases against MPs/MLAs that are pending as on 28 Feb 2025 in the State have basically been registered in 10 districts. The list of the districts (descending order) is given below.
- Khurdha – 86
- Sundargarh – 56
- Koraput – 55
- Sambalpur – 50
- Ganjam – 47
- Cuttack – 44
- Mayurbhanj – 29
- Angul – 27
- Balangir – 24
- Balasore – 24
HOW SERIOUS IS CRIME – POLITICIAN NEXUS IN ODISHA?
A glance at the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) analysis on criminal cases against winners in the 2024 Assembly election shows the following.
- 85 out of 147 winner MLAs have declared criminal charges against them
- However, ADR report shows 67 MLAs have serious criminal charges, which it says amounts to 46% of the current house strength.
- An analysis shows that highest number of serious criminal cases have been lodged against the following winner MLAs
- Ramesh Jena (Congress MLA from Sanakhemundi) – 42
- Braja Kishore Pradhan (BJD MLA from Talcher) – 31
- Laxman Munda (CPIM MLA from Bonai) – 20
- Rabi Narayan Naik (BJP MLA from Kuchina) – 17
IS IT TARIQ PE TARIQ?
As per the statement given by CM Mohan Majhi, out of the total 457 criminal cases, trial is continuing in as many as 85% or 384 cases. Trial has been over in only 14 cases. But in other 43 cases, police investigation is still underway. It shows nearly 9% of cases against MPs/MLAs in the State has not reached the trial stage.
NN VOHRA COMMITTEE
Govt of India had set up a high powered committe under teh chairmanship of NN Vohra to look into the whole gamut of politician-bureacrat-criminal nexus. The report submitted was of 100 pages but only 13 were made public. The reason cited for non-disclosure is lconfidential documents submitted by intelligence agencies need not be made public. This committee recommendation have led to an all important SC judgement given below.
However, in a important judgement in year 2021, Justices Nariman and BR Gavai modifying its 2020 Judgment directed all political parties to publicly provide (in news media) all criminal antecedants of their respective candidates. This judgement has led rise in awareness among public on criminal - policiain nexus during polls.
