Cuttack, Sept. 30: Orissa High Court today granted interim protection against the arrest of Pravat Kumar Tripathy, who is now under CBI scanner for his alleged links with ponzi firm Artha Tatwa.

The reprieve, however, is till the court hears his anticipatory bail plea on October 13.

However, the court has barred him from going outside the state without prior intimation to the CBI in case any necessity arises. It also directed him to surrender his passport to the CBI by tomorrow.

“As expected by the high court, I will extend all co-operation to the CBI as and when required,” Tripathy, 61, told The Telegraph. The four-time MLA from Banki had filed the anticipatory bail petition after the CBI raided his house in Cuttack, official quarters in Bhubaneswar and party office in his constituency. His four bank accounts were also checked for money trail.

Subsequently, the CBI had quizzed Tripathy for nearly five hours on September 16.

A single judge bench took up his plea yesterday and reserved judgment after hearing Tripathy’s counsel and the CBI’s one.

While granting the interim protection, Justice Debabrata Dash directed the CBI to submit on October 13 the report of the Central Forensic State Laboratory, Hyderabad, on the compact disc (CD) under inquiry.

CBI counsel V. Narasingh had told the court the agency was examining the authenticity of a CD carrying a purported telephonic conversation between Tripathy and AT Group chief Pradeep Kumar Sethy. He said the CD had been sent to the laboratory for forensic and voice test.

In the CD, which had surfaced last year, the MLA is allegedly heard requesting Sethy for sponsorship for the Annual Banki Mahotsava in his constituency. The CBI has been trying to ascertain whether any money transaction had taken place between Sethy and Tripathy.

While seeking interim protection for Tripathy, senior advocate Pitambar Acharya submitted that the CBI had been unable to provide an iota of evidence against his client except for a purported CD. But even on this, the agency apparently has no information who has recorded the conversation and which electronic device has been used for the recording.

The CBI counsel argued that insulating Tripathy from possible arrest would pose hindrance to the process of investigation. But, he conceded that the investigating agency had no evidence so far to prove Tripathy’s links with Sethy.