Cuttack, Dec 6: The Orissa High Court on Wednesday granted bail to four persons on a condition of planning 50 to 100 saplings and to maintain them for two years.
The court in its order said violation of the above condition shall entail cancellation of the bail.
The single judge bench of Justice SK Panigrahi passed the orders allowing bail to Soumya Rajan Palai accused of attempt to murder, Purnanda Nayak accused of rape, cheating and extortion, Budhadev Das accused in case of his wife’s murder and Nirmal Sana accused in an NDPS case.
The criminal cases against the four accused are pending in lower courts at Tangi, Bhubaneswar, Keonjhar and Malkangiri respectively. Justice Panigrahi directed these courts to release them on bail on stringent terms and conditions.
“The petitioner shall plant saplings (50 in two cases and 100 in the other two) of local varieties like mango, neem, tamarind, etc. around his village over government land/community land/private land, if it is in the possession of the petitioners or their family members,” said Justice Panigrahi in identical orders on the four petitions.
Justice Panigrahi further directed the petitioners to file affidavits before the local police station after plantation of the saplings assuring that they will maintain those plants for two years.
The inspector-in-charge of the concerned police stations along with the local forest officers shall monitor whether the petitioner has planted the saplings or not, Justice Panigrahi specified in the orders.
