Bhubaneswar,(Orissa Today) Feb 8: The Orissa High Court has issued a stay order on the non-bailable warrant (NBW) issued by the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM), Malkangiri, against senior IAS officer Manish Agarwal for his repeated non-appearance in court despite multiple summons.
The SDJM court had summoned Agarwal in connection with the 2019 abetment of suicide case involving his personal assistant (PA) when he served as the Malkangiri Collector. Currently, Agarwal holds the position of Additional Secretary in the Planning and Convergence Department.
On February 1, 2025, Agarwal filed a petition in the High Court challenging the NBW issued against him. He also requested permission to appear through his advocate under Section 205 of the CrPC. The bench of Justice S.K. Panigrahi, while admitting his petition, directed the state government to respond and scheduled the final hearing for March 5.
“As an interim measure, the operation of the NBW order dated February 1, 2025, shall remain stayed until the next hearing,” Justice Panigrahi stated.
The SDJM court had earlier rejected Agarwal’s plea for exemption from physical appearance, emphasizing that under the 1973 CrPC, an accused must first appear physically before seeking further exemptions.
Orissa High Court stays NBW against IAS officer Manish Agarwal
