SC grants interim bail to IAS officer Manish Agarwal in PA suicide case
CUTTACK: Senior IAS Officer Manish Agarwal was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court on Tuesday in connection with the case on abetment of suicide of his personal assistant (PA) when he was Malkangiri collector five years ago.
Agarwal had moved the Supreme Court after the Orissa High Court rejected his anticipatory bail petition on April 25. While issuing notice returnable on July 22 to the state government, the apex court's division bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Dipankar Datta said, 'Meanwhile, the petitioner may surrender before the trial court and furnish bail bonds to its satisfaction upon which he shall be released on interim bail,'
Agarwal, who is presently additional secretary, Planning and Convergence department had sought interim protection after the sub-divisional judicial magistrate (SDJM) court, Malkangiri, rejected his plea seeking exemption from appearance during the trial.
He had filed an anticipatory bail petition before the high court expressing apprehension that if he appears before the SDJM Court, he will be remanded in custody on the ground that offence under Section 306 of IPC (abetting suicide) is triable by the Court of Sessions.
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