CUTTACK: Orissa High Court’s single judge bench of Justice SK Panigrahi has granted bail to a man facing prosecution in a theft case on the condition that he will plant 200 saplings around his village and maintain it for two years.
Justice Panigrahi set the condition on Thursday in the case of Manas Ati, an accused in a case of theft of six electric poles at Kolabira in Jharsuguda district. He has been in custody since December 25, 2024. The case is pending before the court of Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM), Jharsuguda.
While disposing of Ati’s bail plea, Justice Panigrahi said, “The petitioner shall plant 200 saplings of local varieties like mango, neem, tamarind, etc., around his village (under Kolabira police station limits) over government land/community land/private land.”
The district nursery/DFO has been ordered to supply the saplings to Ati and the revenue officials will help in identifying the land for plantation. The local police station IIC in coordination with the local forest official shall monitor if the petitioner has planted the saplings of not.