Manoj Sutar Vs State of Odisha — Cheating and Forgery | Orissa HC (2026)

Manoj Sutar Vs State of Odisha — Cheating and Forgery | Orissa HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Bail granted to the petitioner pending disposal of Criminal Appeal No. 02 of 2025, on furnishing bail bonds of Rs.10,000/- with one solvent surety for the like amount to the satisfaction of the learned convicting Court; sentence of the appellant/petitioner suspended till disposal of the appeal. IA No. 32 of 2026 (amendment/correction of cause title) also disposed of as allowed, amended copy taken on record.

Issue for consideration

Whether bail should be granted to the petitioner, a convict under S. 420 IPC undergoing sentence, pending disposal of his Criminal Appeal No. 02 of 2025 (suspension of sentence), after the learned Addl. Sessions Judge-cum-Special Judge, Malkangiri refused bail by order dated 11.12.2025. +1 more

Court's answer

The petitioner has already undergone more than half of the sentence, but his appeal against conviction and sentence is yet to be disposed of.

Ratio / Principle

The prayer to amend/correct the provision of law in the cause title being innocuous and formal in nature, it is allowed; the petitioner is permitted to rectify the provision of law in the cause title of the CRLMA application.

Key takeaways

On those facts, the petitioner has made out a case for grant of bail.ratio¶20
The CRLMA stands allowed: the petitioner is permitted to go on bail pending disposal of the appeal on furnishing bail bonds of Rs.10,000/- (Rupees Ten Thousand) with one solvent surety for the like amount, to the satisfaction of the learned convicting Court.ratio¶21
The sentence of the appellant/petitioner is suspended till disposal of the appeal.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

CRLMA under S. 430 BNSS for bail pending appeal (High Court of Orissa, Cuttack; Justice G. Satapathy; order dated 14.07.2026): Petitioner, convicted under S. 420 IPC and sentenced by the learned JMFC, Motu (MV79) in GR Case No.382 of 2024 to RI for three years with fine of Rs.10,000/- (default SI one month), had undergone imprisonment of near about two years - more than half the sentence - while his Criminal Appeal No. 02 of 2025 before the learned Addl. Sessions Judge-cum-Special Judge, Malkangiri remained undisposed, notwithstanding that judge's earlier refusal of bail by order dated 11.12.2025. Finding that the petitioner had made out a case for grant of bail, the Court allowed the CRLMA, directed release on bail on furnishing bail bonds of Rs.10,000/- with one solvent surety for the like amount, and suspended the sentence till disposal of the appeal. IA No. 32 of 2026 seeking amendment/correction of the provision of law in the cause title was allowed as innocuous and formal and disposed of, the amended copy being taken on record.

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ORISSA AT CUTTACK CRLMA No.37 of 2026

Manoj Sutar

Petitioner

Mr. D.K. Panda, Advocate

-versus-

State of Odisha

… Opposite Party

Mr. R.B.Mishra, Addl. PP

Order No.

CORAM: JUSTICE G. SATAPATHY ORDER(ORAL) : 14.07.2026

05. IA No. 32 of 2026

This matter is taken up through Hybrid Arrangement (Virtual/Physical Mode).

This is an application by the petitioner seeking amendment/correction of the provision of law in the cause title of the CRLMA.

Heard, Mr. Deepak Kumar Panda, learned counsel for the petitioner and Mr. R.B.Mishra, learned Addl. PP in the matter and perused the record. 4. After having considered the rival submissions upon perusal of record, since the prayer appears to be innocuous and formal in nature, the same is allowed and accordingly, the petitioner is permitted to rectify the provision of law in the cause title of the CRLMA application.

Accordingly, IA stands disposed of. It is, however, brought to the notice of the Court that the amended copy of cause title has already been filed and the same is taken on record for consideration.

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CRLMA No. 37 of 2026

This is an application U/S. 430 of BNSS by the petitioner seeking to grant bail to the petitioner who is appellant in Criminal Appeal No. 02 of 2025 pending in the file of the learned Addl. Sessions Judge-cumSpecial Judge, Malkangiri, who by the impugned order dated 11.12.2025 refused to grant bail to the appellant-petitioner by not suspending his sentence. 7. Heard, Mr. Deepak Kumar Panda, learned counsel for the petitioner and Mr. R.B.Mishra, learned Addl. PP in the matter and perused the record. 8. It is not disputed that the petitioner has been convicted for commission of offences punishable U/S. 420 of IPC and is accordingly, sentenced by the learned JMFC, Motu at MV79 in GR Case No.382 of 2024 to undergo Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) for three years with fine of Rs.10,000/-, in default whereof to under SI for further one month, but the petitioner had already suffered imprisonment for 06 months & 20 days as on the date of judgment of the learned trial Court on 14.02.2025 and thereafter, since then till today and thereby, the petitioner has already undergone imprisonment for near about two years, however, the appeal is yet to be disposed of. 9. In the aforesaid facts and situation, this Court considers that the petitioner has already undergone more than half of the sentence, but his appeal against conviction and sentence is yet to be disposed of and

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therefore, this Court considers that the petitioner has made out a case for grant of bail.

Accordingly, the CRLMA stands allowed and the Petitioner is allowed to go on bail pending disposal of the appeal on furnishing bail bonds of Rs.10,000/- (Rupees Ten Thousand) only with one solvent surety for the like amount to the satisfaction of the learned convicting Court on such terms and conditions as deem fit and proper by it and accordingly, the sentence of the appellant/petitioner be suspended till disposal of the appeal.

(G. Satapathy) Judge

kishore

Signature Not Verified

Digitally Signed Signed by: KISHORE KUMAR SAHOO Designation: Secretary Reason: Authentication Location: High Court of Orissa Date: 14-Jul-2026 21:23:28

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