STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court has granted interim pre-arrest bail to Pankaj Kumar Nagbanshi in the National Food Safety Act (NFSA) rice scam with a few conditions. The Chief Minister’s Special Vigilance Cell had registered a case and 13 people have been arrested so far in this regard.
The conditions are that the petitioner shall make himself available to the police or any other investigating agency or Court in the present case as and when required and he shall not directly or indirectly make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade him from disclosing such facts to Court or to any police officer or tamper with the evidence. He shall not, in any manner, try to overawe or influence or intimidate the prosecution witness. He shall not obstruct the smooth progress of the investigation/trial. He also shall not misuse his liberty in any manner and appear before the investigating officer within seven days from the date of this order, failing which the interim protection would stand lapsed on the 8th day.
According to a source, the NFSA rice scam took place in Dhekiajuli and Pankaj Kumar Nagbanshi was posted as the Additional Deputy Commissioner in the Sonitpur district at the time when rice worth Rs 2,00,00,000 was siphoned. He was posted in Sonitpur from January 2023 to May 2023 before being transferred to Tinsukia. A case was registered with the CM’s Special Vigilance Cell (Case No. 04/2023) under Sections 120(B)/420/406/409 IPC read with Sections 13(1(a)/13(2) of the PC Act, 1988.
Pankaj Kumar Nagbanshi had filed the pre-arrest bail application under Section 438 CrPC.
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