Orissa HC quashes FIR against Damodar Rout over anti-Dalit remarks

The Orissa High Court Wednesday quashed an FIR registered against expelled BJD MLA and former minister Damodar Rout for allegedly making anti-Dalit remarks at a public meeting in August 2010.

The FIR was lodged by Jagatsingpur police against Rout, who was expelled from the ruling BJD in September last year for his alleged anti-party activities.

"The Orissa High Court has quashed the FIR registered against Rout and ordered to drop all the related proceedings," said his advocate Biswajit Maharana.

"Justice A K Mishra accepted our argument that a false case was registered against the senior political leader and the honourable court was pleased to quash the FIR and drop the proceedings," he added.

A criminal case was registered against Rout at the Kujanga police station under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for making casteist remarks against the then Jagatsinghpur collector, local MLA and MP.

While Rout had immediately obtained a bail from a local lower court, he had approached the high court, challenging the FIR and seeking dropping of the case proceedings.