Bhubaneswar: The Supreme Court has ordered the trial court to complete the hearing of the high-profile Patnagarh parcel bomb case within a month. The directive came while hearing the bail petition of the accused, Punjilal Meher.
Earlier, the Orissa High Court had also instructed the lower court to expedite the proceedings within a specific timeframe. So far, testimony from 60 witnesses has been recorded, with two more witnesses yet to testify.
The Patnagarh parcel bomb blast occurred on February 23, 2018, claiming the lives of two people. The explosion took place when a parcel bomb, delivered to the house of Professor Rabindra Sahu in Patnagarh town, detonated.
The blast killed Rabindra’s newly married son, Soumya Shekhar, and his maternal uncle, while Soumya’s wife, Reemarani, sustained severe injuries. The shocking incident sent shockwaves across the state.
The Crime Branch, which is investigating the case, arrested Punjilal Meher, a professor at the same college where Soumya Shekhar’s mother, Ayusha Sahu, worked. The final charge sheet has been submitted to the court, and Punjilal has remained in judicial custody since his arrest.
