Malkangiri, June 12,(OT Webdesk)Former Malkangiri District Collector and IAS officer Manish Agarwal has been granted bail in connection with the suicide case of his personal assistant (PA), Deba Narayan Panda.
The SDJM Court in Malkangiri approved the bail today against two sureties of Rs 50,000 each, following compliance with the Supreme Court’s directive.
Agarwal previously obtained interim bail from the Supreme Court after the Orissa High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea. The case traces back to 2019, when Panda’s body was found at Satiguda Dam in Malkangiri.
Initially categorised as an unnatural death, the case took a dramatic turn when Panda’s wife alleged foul play, leading to a murder charge against Agarwal.
However, in 2023, the Orissa High Court ruled that there was no prima facie evidence for murder but instructed the trial court to proceed with charges of abetment to suicide.
Agarwal, currently serving as Additional Secretary in Odisha’s Planning and Convergence Department, has persistently denied the allegations.
His bail approval allows the legal proceedings to continue without his immediate incarceration, marking a crucial turn in this high-profile case.
