Union minister Chandra Sarangi appears before courts

While one case was lodged against him at Nilgiri, his native place, in 2004, the other one was registered at Balasore in 2011.

The 2004 case involved burning down of a tribals' worship place near a crematorium.

In the 2011 case, Sarangi was accused of being involved in a clash between two groups of protestors.

The cases had been transferred to Bhubaneswar.

"The cases against me are baseless," the Union minister of state for animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries and MSME claimed after appearing before the courts.

His lawyer Bijay Singh said both the cases were filed out of political vendetta.