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Giridhar Gopal in Bhubaneswar
The lawyers defending the accused in Staines murder case are planning to move the Orissa high court against the appointment of a government lawyer on Monday by the trial court.
The Khurda district and sessions judge Mahendranath Patnaik appointed a state defense counsel, Birendra Nath Patnaik, citing the Orissa high court instruction that the trial of the case must be continued on a day-to-day basis.
"This is illegal and we are going to file a petition in the high court seeking justice," one of the private defense counsels, Banabehari Mohanty, said.
The accused persons, including Dara Singh, are on a hunger strike since July 11 in the Jharpada jail at Bhubaneswar demanding the transfer of the trial to another court, alleging that Khurda district and session judge is prejudiced against them.
They have sent their request to the Orissa high court.
The hunger strike by the accused has hampered the hearings in the case, which was scheduled this month.
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