CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Thursday refused to release on bail Akash Pathak, son of suspended Indian Forest Service officer Abhay Kant Pathak, who has been in judicial custody since his arrest in connection with a job scam on December 7 last year.
The single Judge bench of Justice SK Sahoo rejected his bail application in the larger interest of public and State taking into account the prima facie case of cheating, fraud, forgery and impersonation registered against him. Justice Sahoo took into account the manner in which gullible job aspirants were allegedly duped for personal gain regardless of the consequence to the community.
There may be many more such persons who might have been duped in the name of providing jobs in a reputed company like TATA Motors which is likely to be unearthed during the course of further investigation, the bench observed.
Accordingly, Justice Sahoo took into account the nature and gravity of the accusation, severity of the punishment in the event of conviction, the position and standing of the petitioner and the co-accused sitting MLA Pradeep Panigrahy who has been recently released from judicial custody, the apprehension of tampering with the evidence when some important aspects of the investigation are still under progress.
In his 36-page long judgment, Justice Sahoo said the case records indicate that in a pre-planned and calculated manner, Akash and the co-accused persons had incurred wrongful gain by inflicting loss to the common people in the name of providing them jobs in TATA Motors which is a white-collar crime that affects socio-economic fabric of the State.
Tainted IFS officer Abhay to walk out of jail
Cuttack: The Orissa High Court on Thursday granted bail to suspended IFS officer Abhay Kant Pathak in another cheating case involving alleged receipt of money on assurance of providing jobs. With this, he has secured bail in all four cases registered against him and can now walk out of the jail. He has been in judicial custody since his arrest by the State Vigilance in a disproportionate assets case on November 27 last year. Justice SK Sahoo granted bail to Abhay on furnishing of bail bond of `2 lakh in a cheating case registered at the Baidyanathpur police station in Ganjam district.