NBW issued against former Malkangiri collector | Bhubaneswar News
Koraput: Sub-divisional judicial magistrate (SDJM), Malkangiri, issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) on Saturday against senior IAS officer and former Malkangiri collector Manish Agarwal. The warrant was issued due to his repeated failure to physically appear in court despite multiple summons in connection with the death of his personal assistant (PA) five years ago.
Rejecting Agarwal’s petition, filed through his counsel seeking exemption from physical appearance during the trial, the court emphasised that under the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, an accused’s first appearance in a criminal case must be physical.
The accused should first present himself before this court and then may seek exemption from personal attendance before the honourable trial court, which is the court of sessions, the court order stated.
Besides Agarwal, NBWs were also issued against three other accused. They are V Venu (data-entry operator), Prakash Swain (stenographer), and Bhagawan Panigrahi (former Odisha revenue service officer). The court has scheduled the next hearing for Feb 28, when the warrants are expected to be executed and the accused persons produced in court.
Earlier, on Dec 6, 2024, the court served notices to Agarwal and the three associates, directing them to appear on Dec 22, 2024. However, upon a request for additional time by the counsel for the accused, the next appearance date was set for Dec 29, 2024, which was also not complied with.
The case dates back to Dec 27, 2019, when Debnarayan Panda, Agarwals PA, went missing. His body was recovered near the Satiguda dam on the outskirts of Malkangiri town the following day. Initially, police registered the case as a suicide but later reclassified it as an unnatural death.
The investigation was transferred to the state Crime Branch, which concluded that Panda had died by suicide and cleared Agarwal of wrongdoing. However, Panda’s wife, Banaja Panda, filed a protest petition on Nov 2, 2020, alleging that her husband had been murdered by Agarwal and his associates after he refused to collect bribes on the collector’s behalf.
Following the petition, the SDJM court directed police in Nov 2020 to register a case against Agarwal and his associates. However, the Orissa high court revised the charges to section 306 (abetment of suicide) instead of section 302 (murder) after hearing a petition from Agarwal. Currently, Manish Agarwal holds the position of additional secretary, planning and convergence department.
Rejecting Agarwal’s petition, filed through his counsel seeking exemption from physical appearance during the trial, the court emphasised that under the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, an accused’s first appearance in a criminal case must be physical.
The accused should first present himself before this court and then may seek exemption from personal attendance before the honourable trial court, which is the court of sessions, the court order stated.
Besides Agarwal, NBWs were also issued against three other accused. They are V Venu (data-entry operator), Prakash Swain (stenographer), and Bhagawan Panigrahi (former Odisha revenue service officer). The court has scheduled the next hearing for Feb 28, when the warrants are expected to be executed and the accused persons produced in court.
Earlier, on Dec 6, 2024, the court served notices to Agarwal and the three associates, directing them to appear on Dec 22, 2024. However, upon a request for additional time by the counsel for the accused, the next appearance date was set for Dec 29, 2024, which was also not complied with.
The case dates back to Dec 27, 2019, when Debnarayan Panda, Agarwals PA, went missing. His body was recovered near the Satiguda dam on the outskirts of Malkangiri town the following day. Initially, police registered the case as a suicide but later reclassified it as an unnatural death.
The investigation was transferred to the state Crime Branch, which concluded that Panda had died by suicide and cleared Agarwal of wrongdoing. However, Panda’s wife, Banaja Panda, filed a protest petition on Nov 2, 2020, alleging that her husband had been murdered by Agarwal and his associates after he refused to collect bribes on the collector’s behalf.
Following the petition, the SDJM court directed police in Nov 2020 to register a case against Agarwal and his associates. However, the Orissa high court revised the charges to section 306 (abetment of suicide) instead of section 302 (murder) after hearing a petition from Agarwal. Currently, Manish Agarwal holds the position of additional secretary, planning and convergence department.
