CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Wednesday granted conditional bail to Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahy in a case registered against him by the Crime Branch. He was granted bail with the condition of furnishing cash security of Rs 24 lakh and bail bond of Rs 5 lakh with two sureties.
Justice SK Sahoo also set the condition that Panigrahy shall give an undertaking to deposit an additional amount of Rs 23.45 lakh in five installments, Rs 5 lakh each by end of March, April, May, June and the last installment of Rs 3.45 lakh by July-end.
Panigrahy is in judicial custody since the Crime Branch arrested him on December 3 last year in connection with a case relating to alleged impersonation, cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy and other cyber offences by Akash Kumar Pathak, son of IFS officer Abhay Pathak, who was implicated in an alleged disproportionate assets case.
On Monday, Advocate General AK Parija had filed some relevant documents along with a note, which revealed that the total amount stated to have been received by Panigrahy from the job aspirants is to the tune of Rs 47.45 lakh. In view of it, Justice Sahoo had sought an affidavit from Panigrahy stating as to whether he is ready and willing to deposit in the trial court the amount he allegedly received from the job aspirants.
Senior advocate Pitambar Acharya appearing for Panigrahy filed his affidavit stating that to deposit Rs 47.45 lakh would be very difficult and would cause undue hardship to him and his family.