Bhubaneswar: In a major relief to Odisha cadre IAS officer Manish Agrawal, the Orissa High Court has ruled out his involvement in the mysterious death of his personal assistant (PA) Deba Narayan Panda during his tenure as Malkangiri Collector in 2019.
A single-judge bench of Justice Sashikanta Mishra ordered that the case be probed under Sections 306/120-B/34 IPC (abetment of suicide) instead of 302/506/201/204 of IPC (murder).
“On a conspectus of the analysis of facts and law made herein, this Court is of the considered view that the offences punishable under Sections 302/506/201/204 of IPC are prima facie, not made out. However, there are enough materials to proceed against the accused persons for the offences under Sections 306/120-B/34 IPC,” Mishra said in the 30-page order.
The bench further stated, “In the result, the CRLMCs are allowed in part. The impugned order is modified only to the extent of substitution of the offences under Sections 302/506/201/204 of IPC by the offences under Sections 306/120-B/34 IPC. The court below is directed to proceed accordingly and to try and dispose of the case as expeditiously as possible preferably, within eight months.”
The post-mortem report disclosed the cause of death as drowning and its complications. It also revealed that the body did not have any injury or mark of violence. The viscera report indicated that no poisonous compound, alcohol and drugs could be detected.
As per the case record, Debnarayan Panda, personal assistant to the then Malkangiri Collector Manish Agrawal, went missing from his office on December 27, 2019.
Panda’s body was recovered from Satiguda dam in Malkangiri the next day. The police had initially registered a suicide case and later an unnatural death case in connection with Panda’s death.
However, Panda’s wife alleged that he might have been murdered since he was aware of the alleged involvement of the Malkangiri district Collector and others in cases of corruption.
Panda’s wife had filed a case in this regard at the court of Malkangiri Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM).
As per the direction of the Malkangiri SDJM, a murder FIR was lodged against Agrawal and three others. The Odisha Police had also launched a CID-Crime Branch probe into the incident.
Challenging the Malkangiri SDJM order, Agrawal had moved the Orissa HC. Advocate Ashish Mishra was pleading the case in the HC on behalf of the Odisha cadre IAS officer.
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