Reported by Mrinal Banik
Agartala: The Tripura High Court has directed the state government to immediately initiate steps for appointing additional public prosecutors in the High Court, observing that the existing Public Prosecutor was unable to effectively attend proceedings in all courts single-handedly.
The direction was issued by a division bench comprising Justice T Amarnath Goud and Justice S Datta Purkayastha while hearing a matter on Wednesday.
The bench noted that when the case was taken up on Tuesday, Public Prosecutor Raju Datta was absent and was represented by advocate K Pandey, who informed the court that the PP was engaged in another court at the same time.
According to the order, a similar situation occurred again on Wednesday when the matter was called up for hearing.
“For the past several months it is experienced by this Court that the learned Public Prosecutor has been all alone appearing before the Courts and he is not in a position to justify attending and representing the matters in all Courts,” the bench observed.
Expressing concern over the situation, the High Court said the government must now take urgent steps to appoint sufficient additional public prosecutors to assist the existing Public Prosecutor in handling matters before the court.
“The Chief Secretary, Government of Tripura, is directed to look into the matter and take up the issue immediately with the concerned authority so as to make immediate arrangements for the engagement of Additional PP to represent in the High Court,” the order stated.
The court further warned that if no suitable arrangement was made by the next date of hearing, it would proceed with hearing and disposal of matters even in the absence of the Public Prosecutor.
“In the event, if the government fails to make any suitable arrangement on the next date, this court shall have no hesitation but to hear and decide the matter in the absence of the learned Public Prosecutor,” the bench said.
The matter has been listed for further hearing on May 19.
The High Court also directed that copies of the order be immediately furnished to the Chief Secretary of the state government as well as the Public Prosecutor attached to the High Court.
According to available information, two additional public prosecutors had earlier been assisting the Public Prosecutor in conducting cases before the High Court. However, one of them later secured a government job, while another additional PP was removed in February this year.
Since then, the Public Prosecutor has reportedly been handling all assigned matters alone. In several instances, multiple cases were listed simultaneously before different benches, resulting in difficulties in representation and court appearances.