Cuttack, Oct 13 (PTI) Barabati-Cuttack MLA Md. Moquim was reprimanded and fined by Orissa High Court on Friday, the second time in the same case in just over two months.

The high court slapped Rs 10,000 fine on the lawmaker for non-appearance before it in an election-related false affidavit case. Moquim was suspended from the Congress earlier on charges of anti-party activities.

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BJD leader and former MLA of Barabati-Cuttack Debashis Samantray had petitioned the high court in July 2019, alleging that Moquim had submitted false affidavits along with his nomination papers ahead of the May 2019 elections.

Samantray had also alleged that Moquim, in his affidavit, had suppressed criminal cases pending against him.

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In August, the HC had imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on Moquim for the same reason.

The court was seeking Moquim's appearance for cross-examination of the witnesses. But when the MLA sought repeated adjournments and more time, the court fined him.

On Friday too when Moquim's lawyer sought more time, the HC expressed its displeasure and fined him again.

After asking the legislator to deposit Rs 10,000 in the account of Orissa High Court Bar Association, the HC posted the matter for hearing again on October 17 with the instruction that the MLA should be present on that day.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)