Malkangiri court issues NBW against IAS officer over mystery death of PA

The court of sub-divisional judicial magistrate also issues NBWs against three others
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MALKANGIRI: The court of sub-divisional judicial magistrate (SDJM) here has issued non-bailable warrant (NBW) against IAS officer Manish Agarwal in connection with the mysterious death of his personal assistant (PA) during his tenure as Malkangiri collector in 2019.

The Malkangiri court on Saturday also issued NBWs against three others in the case. The court has posted the case to February 28 for execution of the NBW and production of the former Malkangiri collector and three others.

The NBW was issued against the IAS officer, who is now working as the additional secretary to Planning and Convergence Department in Odisha government, after he failed to depose before the court despite issuance of several notices in this regard.

Deba Narayan Panda, the PA to then Malkangiri collector Agrawal, had gone missing from his office on December 27, 2019. The next day, his body was recovered from Satiguda dam.

Police initially registered a suicide and unnatural death case but Panda’s wife made an allegation of murder against the then collector. Thereafter, Agarwal and three other staff were booked under sections 302 (murder), 506 (intimidation), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) and 204 (destruction of a document or electronic record) of IPC.

Subsequently, the sub-divisional judicial magistrate (SDJM), Malkangiri, took cognisance of the charges. The SDJM’s order was challenged in the Orissa high court by Agarwal and others accused in the case.

In June 2023, the Orissa High Court modified the lower court order and substituted the offence of murder with the offence of abetting suicide.

The HC held that there was no evidence to suggest that the death was homicidal in nature. However, Justice Sashikanta Mishra said the complaint petition, protest petition, initial statement of the complainant and the statement of other witnesses as also objection affidavit contained allegations against the petitioners of having instigated, by their conduct, the deceased to commit suicide.

Justice Mishra directed the lower court “to proceed accordingly and to try and dispose of the case as expeditiously as possible preferably, within eight months.”

Subsequently, Agarwal filed a special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court challenging the Orissa High Court’s June 2023 order. However, the apex court dismissed the SLP in November 2024 and cleared way for the trial of the IAS officer.

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