Bhubaneswar, Sept. 2 -- The Orissa High Court has refused to discharge a Ravenshaw University Assistant Professor facing trial for allegedly using a forged election-duty letter to obtain academic leave, holding that her defence cannot be tested at the stage of discharge.
Justice V Narasingh dismissed a criminal revision petition filed by Bijayalaxmi Dash, challenging a March 6 order of the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (Sadar), Cuttack.
The trial court had discharged her of the charge under Section 473 of the IPC but rejected her plea for discharge under Sections 465 and 471 and additionally framed a charge under Section 468.
According to the prosecution, Dash, an Assistant Professor in the Odia Department, had sought leave from the...