CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has granted bail to newly-elected Khurda MLA Prasanta Kumar Jagadev, who was arrested on May 26 for allegedly vandalising an EVM at a booth in Kaunripatna under Begunia Assembly seat during voting on May 25.
Earlier, the court of Additional Judicial Magistrate, Khurda had granted him interim bail for three days from June 9. As per the FIR lodged by the presiding officer of the polling station, while the voting was going on, Jagadev forcibly entered into the booth with some of his supporters and misbehaved with the officials and a female voter.
Senior advocate Pitambar Acharya appearing on Jagadev’s behalf on Wednesday submitted that the allegations were politically motivated and are non-specific in nature. The bail plea was opposed by state counsel P Tripathy with the submission that Jagadev being a voter of that booth forcibly entered into it and caused disturbances while the polling was in progress.
However, the vacation bench of Justice Sashikanta Mishra observed that the allegations were omnibus in nature and did not specify the violations or disturbances that the petitioner had created. That he misbehaved with the polling officer and a female voter were also stated in general terms. The identity of the said female voter was also not stated.
“Taking into consideration the nature of allegations as also the above facts, I am inclined to allow the prayer for bail. Let the petitioner be released on bail on such terms and conditions as deemed just and proper by the court below,” Justice Mishra said and disposed of the bail plea.