While adjudicating a conviction appeal, the Orissa High Court on Friday granted bail to Tapan Saha, who was awarded life imprisonment by the Malkangiri District and Sessions Court in the sensational abductgion of the then Malkangiri Collector R Vineel Krishna, IAS.
A Division Bench of Justices Indrajit Mahanty and Biswajit Mohanty allowed the bail application of the convict directing the Malkangiri District and Sessions Court to impose the necessary conditions as it deems fit, informed Tapan Saha’s counsel Manas Chand.
Tapan, who was working as a contractual Government employee, had accompanied Vineel Krishna and other Government officers to Raliguda village of the district during a Jan Sampark camp in February 2011. However, after the camp when the Collector went to other nearby villages to inspect the developmental works, Tapan decided to stay back.
Suspecting Tapan’s role in the kidnapping of the Collector, police had arrested him in March 2012 under Sections 364-A, 122, 341, 141 of IPC. After a prolonged trial and examining of 23 witnesses, Tapan and a woman were convicted and sentenced in May this year.
Preferring an appeal against the conviction order of the lower court, Tapan had approached the High Court in July this year. This is for the first time his bail application has been allowed ever since his arrest more than four years ago.