B.B. Mangalmurti, J. - (1.) Heard Ms. Mazumdar, counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner and Mr. Verma, counsel appearing on behalf of A.C.B.
(2.) It is submitted on behalf of the petitioner that petitioner is facing altogether 15 cases which has been enumerated in Paragraph 1 of the writ application and prayed for a direction for joint trial of all the cases filed against this petitioner. She further submitted that Section 220 of the Code of Criminal Procedure provides for the joint trial of the cases. These cases were lodged while the petitioner was working as Assistant Engineer in the District Khunti during the period 2009-10 under several schemes of MNREGA. She submitted that entire work under MNREGA scheme was being supervised by the Deputy Commissioner, Khunti. Lastly, she submitted that similar allegations have been levelled against accused persons including this petitioner although in some of the cases, this petitioner was only a person in the ladder through whom the amount was transmitted to the another lower ladder and he was not concerned with the money credited and transferred to the lower ladder of the officer and assisted as post office.
(3.) Mr. Verma appearing on behalf of A.C.B. submitted that scenario has now changed completely from the year 1990 as 15 cases mentioned in Paragraph 1 of the writ application are at different stages. He further submitted that Khunti P.S. Case No.115 of 2010 being Special Case No.62 of 2010 mentioned at serial no.9 by the writ petitioner, has already ended in conviction against which this petitioner has filed Cr. Appeal No.440 of 2015 before this Court. He also submitted that some of the cases are at appearance stage and some of them are at the stage of evidence, therefore, these cases now cannot be jointly tried as the progress of the cases will hamper.;