Bilaspur. An IAS officer filed a petition in the High Court seeking a change in the trial court for a rape case. The petition sought the transfer of the rape trial, currently underway in Janjgir-Champa district, to a court in another district in the state. However, the IAS officer's lawyer failed to appear at the hearing, resulting in the High Court dismissing the petition.

Based on a woman's complaint, a case was filed against IAS officer Janak Prasad Pathak in Janjgir-Champa under sections of the rape and atrocity acts. The case is currently pending in the Janjgir-Champa Atrocity Court. The IAS officer filed a criminal transfer petition in the High Court, seeking transfer of the case against him from the Janjgir-Champa Special Court to another court in the state.

On Friday, the case came up for hearing before a single bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha. No lawyer appeared to represent Pathak. Nor did anyone request an extension. On this basis, the High Court dismissed the petition. The High Court noted in its order that the applicant's lawyer did not appear despite repeated summons. It appears the applicant is not interested in pursuing the case.