CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Wednesday granted bail to Ankita Pradhan and fixed September 26 for considering the petition seeking quashing of the FIR registered against her.
The single bench of Justice AK Mohapatra directed her release on bail subject to furnishing bail bond of Rs 30,000 with two local solvent sureties each for the like amount.
Representing Ankita, senior advocate Yasobant Das made submissions for grant of bail to her citing the rejection of her plea by the JMFC, Bhubaneswar on September 16. The high court, as per established norm, considers bail applications only after they are rejected by the District and Sessions Judge.
However, in Ankita’s case, Justice AK Mohapatra said, “The allegation made by the accused-petitioner in the present case is an anathema to the very concept of a democratic and orderly society. Therefore by taking a departure from the well-established practice of considering the bail application only after the same is rejected by the District and Sessions Judge, this court deems it proper to take up the bail application of the petitioner on its own merit.”
Justice Mohapatra observed that the magistrate court rejected the bail application without applying judicial mind and acting mechanically.
The court directed the state government to bear all expenses incurred in the treatment of the petitioner. On Tuesday, on basis of Justice Sibo Sankar Mishra’s verbal orders, Ankita was shifted to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar for treatment.