Patnagarh Parcel Blast Accused Granted Bail To Perform Last Rites Of Mother

Balangir: The Additional District Judge (ADJ) court on Saturday granted interim bail to Punjilal Meher, prime accused in the much-talked-about Patnagarh parcel bomb blast case, to perform the last rites of his mother.

Her mother passed away at the district headquarters hospital earlier in the day.

The court directed the police to remain present with Meher till the death rituals of his mother are completed.

The court, while rejecting the plea of Meher to allow him to go on parole to perform the last rites, said since the accused has not been convicted, it cannot allow him to go on parole.

As the family demanded that the last rites of the women will be performed by Meher, the hospital authorities kept the body in a fridge inside the morgue.

Notably, the Crime Branch police had arrested Meher on April 25, 2018, in connection with the parcel bomb blast in a house at Bholanathpada village on February 23 when the newly-wed couple Soumya Sekhar Sahu and his wife Rimarani were grievously injured along with their grandmother while opening the parcel assuming it a gift pack.

While Soumya Sekhar and his grandmother succumbed to their injuries, Rimamani was rushed to VIMSAR in Burla and later shifted to SCB Medical College Hospital, Cuttack.

Following a request by Rimarani and her family, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had ordered a CBI SIT probe into the incident.

The prime accused is now lodged in the Balangir district jail.