Cuttack: The Orissa High Court on Friday granted conditional bail to Akash Pathak, son of tainted IFS officer Abhay Patnaik, in connection with Tata Motors ‘job fraud’ case registered at Baidynathpur police station in Odisha’s Ganjam.
Akash had got relief in five other cases earlier. However, he is unlikely to be released from jail anytime soon with him having to secure bail in the case registered by the Crime Branch, his lawyer Pitambar Acharya informed
Akash had allegedly duped job aspirants of Rs 6 lakh each by impersonating a senior officer of Tata Motors. He had allegedly given fake appointment letters to several youths by offering them jobs of graduate engineer and management trainee with salaries ranging between Rs 7 lakh and Rs 8 lakh per annum. Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahy, whose daughter was set to marry Akash, allegedly worked as a conduit for him.
Akash along with his father was arrested on November 27 by the Vigilance for possessing disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 9.35 crore.
After remaining behind bars for six months, suspended IFS officer Abhay Kant Pathak was released from the Jharpada Jail in Bhubaneswar on July 18.
Panigrahi too is out on bail.
