Bank Loan Defaulter Granted Bail with Community Service Condition

In an unprecedented move, the Orissa High Court has granted bail to a bank loan defaulter, with the unusual condition that she cleans a specific bank branch for two hours each day over the course of two months. This directive was issued on Tuesday by a vacation bench led by Justice SK Panigrahi.

Manogyan Patnaik, a resident of the city and the defendant in this case, was tasked with maintaining the cleanliness of ICICI Bank's Link Road Branch. She will be required to carry out this duty every day between 8 AM and 10 AM for a period of two months. Patnaik has been in custody since her arrest by the Economic Offences Wing of the State Crime Branch on February 5 after being accused of fraudulently obtaining multiple loans using the same residential property as collateral.

Justice Panigrahi granted her bail without delving into the specifics of the case, setting stringent conditions that include no further criminal activity and preventing evidence tampering. The High Court also instructed local police, along with bank authorities, to ensure these conditions are met, threatening bail revocation for infractions.

(With inputs from agencies.)