The Wire Staff 
New Delhi: The Odisha high court has summoned two individuals with the same name on February 24 to determine which one of them was conferred the Padma Shri award in 2023.
The name ‘Shri Antaryami Mishra’ of Odisha appeared in the 56th position in the list of Padma Shri awardees. He was to be honoured for his contribution to literature and education.
Journalist Antaryami Mishra attended the award ceremony and received the award from President Droupadi Murmu. However, Dr Antaryami Mishra, a physician by profession, has moved the high court claiming that journalist Mishra received the award by impersonating him.
In a writ petition, the doctor claimed that he had authored 29 books in Odia and other Indian languages while the journalist had made no such contribution to literature.
The issue has spotlighted concerns about the awardees’ verification process by the government.
Justice S.K. Panigrahi, during the hearing earlier this week, said that despite the rigorous verification process, a mix-up had occurred due to identical names, the Indian Express reported.
He directed both claimants to be physically present along with all their publications and materials to substantiate their claims in court.
The court has also issued notices to the respondents, including the Union government, on the matter.