Cuttack, May 21: In a rare and stringent order, the Orissa High Court has granted conditional bail to a man accused in a Rs1.05 crore bank loan fraud case, directing him to perform community service at the very institution he allegedly defrauded.
The accused, Manoj Kumar, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for allegedly obtaining a fraudulent loan from ICICI Bank. After his bail plea was denied by the trial court, he moved the High Court seeking relief.
Justice S.K. Panigrahi, while granting bail, imposed a unique condition: Kumar must clean the premises of ICICI Bank’s Link Road branch in Cuttack every day from 8 AM to 10 AM for a period of two months. The court also ordered that the accused must stay away from any criminal activity during this period and cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation.
To ensure compliance, the High Court directed local police to coordinate with bank officials and keep watch over Kumar’s assigned duties. The accused has also been warned not to tamper with or destroy any evidence related to the case.
The court made it clear that any breach of these conditions would result in the immediate cancellation of bail. The unusual order aims to ensure accountability and reinforce the seriousness of financial crimes.
