Patnagarh Parcel Blast: Accused Walks Out On Bail For Mother’s Post-Funeral Rites

Balangir: Punjilal Meher, the prime accused in the 2018 Patnagarh parcel bomb blast, was released on bail on Friday to attend the post-funeral rites of his mother.

Notably, a local court here had granted one-day interim bail to Punjilal on January 18 to perform the last rites of his mother, who had passed away on January 17.

After his return to Balangir district jail, he had sought bail from the Orissa High Court to attend the post-funeral rites of his mother. The HC had granted him conditional bail for four days from January 24 to January 28.

The court, however, barred him from speaking to the media and influencing and threatening witnesses. It also asked him to take police permission prior to visiting other places during the bail period. The court had also directed police to escort him at all times.

A lecturer at Jyoti Vikash Junior College at Bhainsa near Patnagarh, Punjilal was arrested by the Crime Branch on April 25, 2018. He was charged with masterminding the parcel bomb blast in which a newly-married techie Soumya Sekhar Sahu and his grandmother Jemamani Sahu were killed. Soumya Sekhar’s wife Reema sustained serious injuries in the incident, which took place on February 23, 2018.

Investigation revealed that Punjilal had plotted the blast following a rivalry with Soumya’s mother, who replaced him as principal of the college.