The Orissa High Court granted bail to an undertrial, incarcerated for about five months in a criminal case, on the condition of planting 100 trees and cleaning hospital rooms on a daily basis for a month.

A single bench judge of the High Court Justice Dr. S K Panigrahi, delivering the order yesterday, directed the police and concerned authorities to ensure that the court order is strictly abided by the accused person.

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The accused, Bigyan Ranjan Das, has been in custody since 27 January last and had moved the High Court after the lower court dismissed his bail applications.

“Without going into the merit of the matter and considering the facts and submission made as well as the statement of the witnesses; further considering the period of detention of the Petitioner (accused) in custody, this court is inclined to release the Petitioner on bail. Accordingly, it is directed that the court in seisin over the matter shall release the Petitioner on bail in the aforesaid case on stringent terms and conditions,” the high court ordered.

The petitioner shall plant 100 saplings of local varieties like mango, neem, tamarind etc., in the ensuing monsoon around the Dumduma area on Government land, community land or private land, if it is in the possession of the petitioner or his family members. In case of unavailability of land the Revenue Authority shall assist to identify the land for plantation, Justice Panigrahi ordered.

The Petitioner shall approach to the Superintendent, Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar who shall facilitate the petitioner for cleaning the hospital rooms and the ward for one month by issuing suitable instruction to his concerned subordinate staff;

Violation of the above conditions shall entail the cancellation of the bail.

The Inspector of the concerned police station, in coordination with the local Forest Officer, shall monitor whether the petitioner has planted the saplings or not.

It has been further cleared that the petitioner shall file an affidavit after the plantation of the saplings before the local Police Station, assuring that he shall maintain those saplings for two years.

The District Nursery and Divisional forest officer shall extend a helping hand by supplying the saplings to the petitioner, the order concluded.