Seaways GM murder: HC breather to Bapi Sarkhel

Cuttack: After remaining around five months in jail, Congress leader and top class contractor Bapi Sarkhel has finally been granted conditional bail by the Orissa High Court, today, in the Seaways Shipping GM Mahendra Swain's murder case.

The court granted him the bail against two bailers and surety of Rs 1 lakh each while directing him to surrender his passport.

Sarkhel, one of the co-accused in the high profile murder case, was denied bail by the District and Sessions Judge Jagatsinghpur in December last year.

The Congress leader had surrendered before the Jagatsinghpur SP in November last year after a look out notice was issued against him in connection with the murder of the general manager of Seaways Shipping and Logistics Pvt Ltd (SSL) Mahendra Swain on October 26.

Sarkhel is a close associate of the main accused in the murder case, Rakesh Choubey.