Orissa HC asks accused to plant mango, tamarind saplings for bail

Bhubaneswar: The Orissa High Court in Cuttack directed three accused to plant saplings while granting them bail in three separate cases today.

A bench of Justice Sanjeeb Kumar Panigrahi directed the accused in two POCSO cases and a murder case to plant mango and tamarind saplings while granting them conditional bail today.

Justice Panigrahi directed Pintu Mahalik, one of the accused in a gangrape case in Chandabali area in Bhadrak, to plant 125 saplings as one among several other conditions while granting him bail.

Mahalik, who has been lodged in jail since 2019, was asked to plant the saplings in his village prior to the arrival of monsoon in Odisha.

As per the HC order, the district Horticulture department in Bhadrak will provide saplings to Mahalik while the local police will monitor the plantation work.

The court has directed Kartik Majhi, an accused in a POCSO case in Kalahandi district, to plant 200 saplings while granting conditional bail to him. Majhi has been lodged in jail since 2020.

The HC has also directed Soumya Ranjan Parida, an accused in a murder case in the capital city here, to plant 200 saplings as one among several conditions for availing bail.