By Avijit Biswas
Bhagalpur: In a directive primarily aimed at increasing green cover through tree plantation, the Additional District and Session Judge (ADJ) -16 Vishwa Vibhuti Gupta, has directed accused of a case to plant twenty-five trees and produce certificate of the same in court procuring it from officer-in-charge of police station of his area.
The accused has been asked for compliance of the directive before argument on judgement in the case is taken up by court. Raj Kumar Mandal accused of the case charged by his father-in-law Naryan Mandal of having illegally taken with him his younger daughter (sister-in-law) with an intention of marrying her, was directed for plantation in course of hearing of the seventeen year old case on last Friday.
As per information, Narayan Mandal, a resident of Awjalpur village under Sanokhar PS area of the district had lodged complaint at local police station on June 30, 2007 that his elder son-in-law Raj Kumar Mandal illegally took away with him his younger daughter Bulo Kumari for marrying her.
The father-in-law had also alleged that his son -in-law had stolen Rs 1500 cash from his house. Narayan Mandal, father-in-law of the accused approached court with his complaint after local police station failed to lodge FIR on his complaint.
Apart from Raj Kumar Mandal his father Upendra Mandal and his mother Budiya Devi were also named accused by Narayan Mandal in his complaint. After court took cognizance on the complaint, a FIR concerning the complaint was lodged by police in Sanokhar PS. Following enquiry police filed chargesheet in the case.
Naryan Mandal had stated in his complaint that he had solemnized marriage of his elder daughter Guho Devi with Raj Kumar Mandal in 1998. Few years later his son-in -law started threatening him that he would leave his elder daughter if he does not marry his younger daughter with him, he had alleged.
Naryan Mandal had further stated in his complaint that in light of threat of his son-in-law, in 2007 he solemnized marriage of his younger daughter in haste. Sometime after marriage of her younger daughter his elder son-in-law with intention of marrying her illegally took her with him.
APP Vikram Kumar Singh, representing prosecution side in the case confirmed accused Raj Kumar Mandal has been directed by court for planting twenty-five trees before hearing is taken up on point of judgement. APP corroborated the directive aims at increasing green cover through plantation. Such court directives would definitely prove beneficial in increasing green cover thereby in protecting environmental degradation, he added.
Meanwhile the scheduled hearing in the case by court today on point of judgement was differed as the accused for compliance of the directive had prayed granting him some more time. As per information August 31 has been fixed by court as next date of hearing in the case.
- Writer Avijit Biswas, former principal correspondent of Hindustan Times Bhagalpur bureau, can be contacted at biswasavijit@yahoo.comContact number (mobile): +919431095516
