Orissa HC grants bail to bank defaulter with unusual condition: Clean bank premises for 2 months.

In an unusual order, the Orissa High Court has granted bail to a bank loan defaulter on the condition that she cleans the premises of a bank branch for two hours daily over a period of two months. The order was issued on Tuesday by a vacation bench of Justice S.K. Panigrahi, who directed city resident Mrs. Manogyan Patnaik to clean ICICI Bank’s Link Road Branch every day from 8 AM to 10 AM for a period of two months. Patnaik have been in custody since her arrest on February 5 by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the State Crime Branch.

She was accused of fraudulently availing multiple loans from ICICI Bank and Indian Bank by mortgaging the same residential property multiple times, and later selling the mortgaged property to another person, who also took a loan on it via an internal balance transfer.

Without delving into the merits of the case, Justice Panigrahi allowed the bail application of Patnaik and directed that the petitioner be released on bail with some stringent terms and conditions as deemed just and proper by the trial court along with the conditions set by the High Court. The High Court in its order has asked the petitioner not to indulge in any criminal offence while on bail and should not tamper with the evidence of the prosecution in any manner.

“The petitioner shall approach the ICICI Bank and clean the bank premises”, the order said, adding that the violation of the conditions shall entail cancellation of the bail. The High Court has also asked the local police, to monitor in coordination with the bank authorities, whether the petitioner is adhering the bail conditions or not.

Team Maverick