Rao, others get bail in JMM case
Former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao and
eight other accused in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha bribery case were on Thursday granted
bail by Special CBI Judge Ajit Bharihoke.
While three accused -- Rao, and former federal ministers Satish
Sharma and Buta Singh -- were granted bail stating that "there
is no likelihood of their tampering with the evidence," six others --
former Karnataka chief minister M Veerappa Moily, and his then
cabinet colleagues H M Revanna and Ramalinga Reddy; V Rajeshwara
Rao, MP, and a relative of Narasimha Rao; and liquor barons
B K Audikeshavalu and M Thimme Gowda -- were given the facility
as the alleged offences were not punishable with death or life
sentence.
The judge, however, directed all the accused not to try to contact
any witness or tamper with evidence.
All the nine executed bail bonds of Rs 50,000 each and provided
sureties of the same amount. Varahalu Rao, a long time friend
and neighbour of Narasimha Rao, stood surety for the former
prime minister.
January 24 has been fixed for scrutiny of documents in the case.
While Narasimha Rao, Satish Sharma and Buta Singh,
chargesheeted by the CBI on October 30, had filed their petitions
for regular bail pleas earlier, the six other accused arraigned in
a second chargesheet filed on December 9, had moved their applications
on Wednesday.
Central Bureau of Investigation counsel C Sahay had opposed the bail applications of all nine accused.
Four other accused in the case -- JMM members of Parliament Shibhu Soren and former
MPs Shailendra Mahto, Suraj Mandal, and Simon Marandi -- were granted
regular bail by the Delhi high court last week, ending their four-month-long incarceration in the central Tihar jail.
The six accused, who had moved their bail pleas on Wednesday, were
Veerappa Moily, Revanna, Reddy, Rajeshwara Rao,
Audikeshavalu, and Thimme Gowda.
All the 13 accused have been chargesheeted by the CBI for allegedly
being party to a criminal conspiracy to save the Narasimha Rao-led
government by bribing and receiving bribes running into millions
of rupees. The four JMM leaders were allegedly bribed
to secure their votes during a motion of no-confidence in July
1993.
Eight of the accused who have sought regular bail were earlier
granted anticipatory bail in the sum of personal bond and a surety
of Rs 50,000 each by the Delhi high court.
The high court had directed that the anticipatory bail would ensure
till the trial court of additional sessions judge Ajit Bharihoke
decided on the regular bail pleas and one week thereafter.
The anticipatory bail plea of Audikeshavalu is pending
in the high court, which had on Monday stayed his arrest till
January 20, when the court would hear his petition. The bail plea
has now become inconsequential.
Arguing on the bail plea of Rao, senior counsel R K Anand,
appearing for Rao, had pleaded that his client was a person
with deep roots in society and there was no fear of his fleeing
from justice or tampering with evidence in case regular bail is
granted to him.
The chargesheet had already been filed against Rao and he
was not needed for any investigation.
UNI
|
