The Orissa High Court has pulled up Berhampur Superintendent of Police (SP) Saravana Vivek M for making public statements about a sub judice election petition and has asked him to explain why his conduct should not be treated as contempt of court.
A single-judge bench of Justice Sashikanta Mishra, in an order issued on Friday, directed the SP to file his written explanation by November 7, when the matter will next be heard.
The court expressed “serious displeasure” after noting that the SP had made detailed comments to the media on October 22, linking the ongoing election petition concerning Berhampur MLA K. Anil Kumar to the murder of BJP leader and advocate Pitabas Panda.
Quoting his remarks, the court noted that the SP had publicly stated that “an election petition emerged as a common link between Bikram Panda and Siba Shankar Dash,” and even went on to discuss who financed and filed the petition. He had further commented on the “possible outcome” of the election case, which is currently under the high court’s consideration.
“If true, it is indeed disturbing to observe that a police officer as senior as the SP chose to publicly comment on an ongoing election dispute before this court,” Justice Mishra observed. The order also recorded that the video of the press conference was available and had been referred to by counsel on both sides.
The court held that such statements, if made, were entirely unwarranted and could amount to interference with the administration of justice. “The court deems it proper to call for an explanation from the SP Berhampur as to under what circumstances and for what reason he gave the above statement, if at all, referring especially to the election petition being heard by this court and as to why such conduct shall not be treated as contempt of this court,” the order said.
It directed that the SP’s written explanation “should reach this court on or before November 7, 2025.” The registrar has been asked to communicate the order by email to the SP immediately.
The order came after petitioner Manoj Kumar Panda filed an affidavit alleging that he had been illegally detained and interrogated by police officers regarding his election petition.
Panda’s election petition challenges the 2024 election of BJP MLA K. Anil Kumar from the Berhampur Assembly constituency. During its investigation into the October 6 murder of BJP leader Pitabas Panda, the Berhampur police claimed that the election petition was a “political link” between former BJD MLA Bikram Panda and former Mayor of Berhampur Municipal Corporation Siba Shankar (Pintu) Dash, both of whom have been arrested in the murder case.
In his controversial media statement, SP Saravana Vivek M had further claimed that Dash was directly involved in the murder and that the election petition “proved the partnership” between him and Bikram Panda. He added that there was an understanding that if the sitting MLA was disqualified, Bikram Panda would contest the by-election, and with his influence, Pintu Dash would be made Mayor.
The matter will now be taken up by the Orissa High Court on November 7, when the SP’s explanation is expected to be scrutinised by the bench.
