p. 1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ORISSA AT CUTTACK ABLAPL No.2627 of 2026 Prasant Mahapatro …. Petitioner(s) Mr. Jyotirmaya Sahoo, Advocate -versus- State of Odisha …. Opposite Party(s) Mr. Debaraj Mohanty, AGA CORAM: JUSTICE SIBO SANKAR MISHRA Order No. ORDER 22.04.2026 01. 1. Heard. 2. The petitioner is seeking pre-arrest bail in connection with Bada Bazar P.S. Case No.603 of 2025 corresponding to G.R. Case No.3346 of 2025 registered for alleged commission of the offences punishable under Sections 318(4)/296/351(3) of the BNS, 2023 read with Section 76 of the Chit Funds Act, 1982 pending in the Court of the learned S.D.J.M., Berhampur. 3. Learned counsel for the petitioner, on instruction from the petitioner, submits that except the present bail application, no other bail application of the p. 2 petitioner is pending in any other Court relating to the aforesaid F.I.R. 4. Mr. Sahoo, learned counsel for the petitioner submits that all the offences alleged against the petitioner attract the sentence below seven years. Therefore, this case is covered by the judgments of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Arnesh Kumar vrs. State of Bihar and another, reported in (2014) 8 SCC 273, Satender Kumar Antil vs. Central Bureau of Investigation, reported in (2022) 10 SCC 51, as well as Pramod Kumar Ray vrs. State of Orissa, reported in (2017) 67 OCR 309. 5. In view of the aforesaid submission, in the event the petitioner is arrested, the Arresting Officer shall scrupulously comply with the guidelines and terms of the above judgments cited by Mr. Sahoo. 6. With the aforementioned observation, the ABLAPL is disposed of. (S.S. Mishra) Judge Subhasis Designation: Personal Assistant Location: High Court of Orissa, Cuttack.