Bhubaneswar: Senior BJD leader and former minister Pratap Jena has submitted his reply in connection with the Mahanga double murder case in the Supreme Court.

The former minister submitted his reply through an affidavit on Friday. The SC has posted the matter for further hearing on May 5. The Apex Court had earlier asked the senior BJD leader to submit his reply within four weeks.

As per the case records, BJP leader Kulamani Baral, the former chairperson of Mahanga Panchayat Samiti (block), and his aide Dibyasingha Baral were killed by unidentified miscreants near Jankoti village in Cuttack district on January 2, 2021.

On the basis of the complaints lodged by the deceased’s families, the police had registered a double murder case.

The family members of the deceased persons alleged that Jena, who was then the Law Minister in the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government, had orchestrated the crime.

Taking cognizance of the matter, the court of the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) at Salipur had ordered on September 25, 2023 that a prima facie case punishable for the offences under Sections 302, 506 and 120 B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) is made against the BJD leader.

Challenging the order, Jena had approached the Orissa High Court. In a major relief to Jena, the HC had quashed the order of the JMFC court on October 2, 2024.

Challenging the Orissa HC verdict, Ranjit Baral, the son of deceased Kulamani Baral, had moved the SC on September 16, 2025.