HC grants bail to arrested MLA Pradeep Panigrahi

The Orissa High Court Wednesday granted conditional bail to arrested Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Kumar Panigrahi, once considered to be a trusted lieutenant of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik but was expelled from the ruling BJD.

The MLA was removed from the BJD following his arrest on December 3, 2020 for allegedly duping several job aspirants and collecting nearly Rs 50 lakh from them on the promise of giving employment to them in a reputed company.

He had reportedly hoodwinked local unemployed youths in cahoots with Akash Pathak, son of an IFS officer who posed to be the managing director of the company.

Both Akash and his father Abhaya Pathak were arrested in connection with the case. Justice S K Sahoo granted the bail to Panigrahi after he submitted an affidavit stating that he would return the entire money collected from the job aspirants.

The HC directed him to immediately deposit Rs 24 lakh as cash security and pay Rs five lakh on the last day of every month from March to July. The bail petition was allowed after the MLA furnished a bail bond of Rs five lakh and two sureties of like amount.

The state Advocate General Ashok Parija had earlier informed the HC that the MLA had duped the job aspirants of Rs 47.45 lakh and the figure is likely to increase as investigation into the case is on.