IAS Manish Agrawal, former Malkangiri collector, granted bail in stenographer death case

Former Malkangiri District Collector, IAS Manish Agrawal was granted conditional bail by the SDJM Court in Malkangiri today. The bail comes weeks after the Orissa High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea in connection with the alleged abetment to suicide of his then-personal assistant, Deba Narayan Panda.

Appearing before the SDJM Court in accordance with Supreme Court directions, Agrawal was granted bail upon furnishing two sureties of Rs 50,000 each.

Background: Mysterious Death Sparks Outcry

Deba Narayan Panda, a stenographer posted with Agrawal, went missing on May 27, 2019. His body was later recovered near the Sattiguda Dam in Malkangiri. Panda’s family alleged foul play, naming Agrawal and three others in their complaint and accusing them of driving Panda to his death.

Initially registered as a murder case, the investigation and subsequent legal proceedings reframed the charges under abetment to suicide based on evolving evidence and procedural review.

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Legal Setback Before Relief

On April 26, the Orissa High Court dismissed the anticipatory bail applications of Agrawal and two co-accused, his then-assistant Prakash Chandra Sway and data entry operator V. Benu, citing the seriousness of the allegations.

The court's decision had heightened the possibility of custodial interrogation, signalling a setback for the accused bureaucrats.

Meanwhile, another accused in the case, former stenographer Bhagban Panigrahi, cited cancer and mental health issues in his family as grounds for leniency. The High Court instructed him to surrender before the lower court within three weeks, with a promise to consider anticipatory bail upon satisfactory medical documentation and conditions.