A truck owner was arrested today on the charges of forging an order of the Orissa High Court and tampering the signatures of two of its judges, including Chief Justice V Gopala Gowda, for releasing his seized vehicle.
The trucker, identified as Surendra Kumar Sahu of Brahmanipal, was arrested following a complaint filed by the Deputy Director of Mines (DDM) with the local police station last night.
However, his associates, including three advocates who prepared the fake court order and signatures of the judges, absconded.
On March 31, police seized a coal-laden truck near Mangalpur after which it was handed over to the Deputy Director, Mines, Jajpur Road, for further action.
Then the DDM started official proceedings in order to confiscate the seized vehicle.
The owner of the vehicle was served a notice accordingly and he appealed before the DDM at his office for compounding his vehicle. The compound money was fixed at Rs 1,37,500 last month but the owner didn't turn up.
On August 3, the vehicle owner came to the DDM office and showed him a high court order in which he was directed to release the vehicle unconditionally.
"On getting the HC order, I suspected some foul play because earlier orders issued by the same HC that there was no direction to release the seized vehicle unconditionally. So, my suspicion grew," said Satyananda Sahu, DDM.
He then contacted the Advocate General and informed him of details about the order produced by the vehicle owner.
The AG in his reply told him that there was no such order issued by the HC.