Bhubaneswar: The Orissa High Court has granted 10 days of interim bail to Chintan Raghuvanshi, a 2013-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer and Deputy Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Bhubaneswar, who was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a bribery case on May 30.
Justice Gourishankar Satapathy passed the order on July 2, allowing Raghuvanshi temporary relief on humanitarian grounds to visit his newborn child, born on June 28, while his regular bail application is still pending.
CBI Arrest and Bail Plea
Raghuvanshi has been in judicial custody since his arrest. Earlier, he had moved the High Court seeking bail, citing the advanced pregnancy of his wife. However, by the time the court took up the matter, his child had already been born. He then filed an interlocutory application for interim bail, which the High Court considered favorably.
Court Acknowledges Emotional and Legal Balance
Opposing the plea, CBI counsel Sarthak Nayak argued that releasing the officer at this stage could enable him to interfere with the ongoing investigation. However, the court noted that the petitioner had already been in custody for over a month and emphasized that the investigation must have substantially progressed by now.
Justice Satapathy remarked, “Interim bail is not defined in statute but has evolved through judicial decisions. It is granted on special contingencies, and the facts of this case are considered peculiar and exceptional.”
He further stated that the petitioner is neither a hardened criminal nor has any material surfaced suggesting that he might abscond if released.
Humanitarian Grounds Prevail
Calling the desire of a father to see his newborn child a natural and valid emotional need, the court observed-
“Balancing the emotion of a father and the facts of the case, the petitioner is admitted to interim bail for 10 days from the date of his actual release.”
The court also empowered the lower court to impose appropriate bail conditions during this period. Raghuvanshi has been directed to surrender immediately after the expiry of the bail term, with a warning of coercive action in case of non-compliance.
Next Hearing on July 15
The High Court has scheduled the hearing of Raghuvanshi’s regular bail petition for July 15, when the court is expected to consider the CBI’s investigation progress and arguments for or against a longer release.
