In an extraordinary display of efficiency and dedication, a Division Bench of the Orissa High Court, comprising Justice Debabrata Dash and Dr. Justice Sanjeeb Kumar Panigrahi, accomplished a rare feat by listing and delivering judgments in 75 cases on Monday. These cases included Criminal Appeals (CRLA), Jail Criminal Appeals (JCRLA), and Government Appeals (GCRLA), most of which were related to murder cases.
The bench, functioning through a hybrid arrangement, where parties appeared both in virtual and physical mode, began their work at 10:30 a.m. By the evening, all 75 verdicts had been delivered, prompting thunderous applause in the packed courtroom.
The President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu is set to attend the platinum jubilee celebration of the Orissa High Court, established in 1948, on Wednesday.
This remarkable achievement comes close to the 75th-anniversary celebration of the Orissa High Court, adding a significant milestone to the historic occasion. Justice Debabrata Dash had previously set a record by delivering 32 judgments on a single day in September of the previous year.
The appeals heard by the bench were filed through the State Legal Services Authority and had been pending for several years. The judgments mostly confirmed the sentences awarded by lower courts, with some cases resulting in the commutation of death sentences.
Throughout the proceedings, the bench expressed concerns about the quality of police investigation and the presentation of cases by the prosecution. In one notable instance, the bench ordered the release of convicts in a death penalty case due to incompetence on the part of investigating police officers.
Advocate B K Ragad, who appeared in two cases during the day, praised the rare feat achieved by the Orissa High Court, stating that, in his 32 years of practice in the court, he had never witnessed such an impressive delivery of judgments in a large number of criminal cases on a single day.
The Orissa High Court, founded on July 26, 1948, with only four judges, including Chief Justice Bira Kishore Ray, has expanded to a bench strength of 28 judges over the course of its 75-year existence.
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