Odisha MLA Asked To Cough Up Rs 47 Lakh For Bail; Know Why

Bhubaneswar: Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahy got a breather from Orissa High Court on Wednesday, almost four months after his arrest in an alleged job fraud.

Justice SK Sahoo allowed him bail with the condition of furnishing Rs 24 lakh cash security and a bail bond of Rs 5 lakh with two sureties. He was also asked to give the undertaking to deposit another Rs 23.45 lakh in five instalments by July-end.

The directive came after Panigrahy assured Justice Sahoo that he would to 50 per cent of the 47.45 lakh, which he had allegedly received from job aspirants, in the trial court at the time of his release.

Justice Sahoo had sought an affidavit from the tainted MLA after Advocate General A K Parija on Monday submitted some relevant documents with a note, which revealed the amount of the money fraudulently received by him.

In the affidavit, Panigrahy expressed his willingness to borrow money to deposit half of Rs 47.45 lakh and sought some more time after his release to borrow, sell away and mortgage property to pay off the remaining amount as fixed by the court.

Notably, he was arrested by the Crime Branch on December 3 last year in connection with alleged impersonation, forgery, cheating, criminal conspiracy and other cyber offences by Akash Pathak, son of suspended IFS officer Abhay Pathak.

However, the MLA has to wait for some more time before he can walk out of Jharpada Jail in Bhubaneswar as another case filed against him by State Vigilance in connection with corruption charges is still pending.