HYDERABAD: Justice Chillakur Sumalatha of Telangana High Court gave conditional interim bail to three accused in the TRS MLAs poaching case — Ramachandra Bharathi, Kore Nandu Kumar and D.P.S.K.V.N. Simhayaji —who the Moinabad police had arrested on October 26.
Each of the accused was ordered to execute a personal bond of Rs. 3 lakh with two sureties for similar mounts to the satisfaction of the ACB Court.
As additional public prosecutor T.V. Ramana Rao told the court that one of the accused had more than one passport and apprehended that they may leave the country, the judge directed the three accused to submit their passports and not leave India without the permission of the court.
They were directed to report before the investigating officer of the Special Investigation Team at his office between 10.30 am and 12 noon every Monday till the filing of the final report. The court also directed them not to tamper with the evidence, to cooperate with the investigation and be present whenever the investigation authority called them.
On the suggestion of the Supreme Court, the accused on Wednesday had moved individual bail petitions in the High Court, which Justice Sumalatha heard on Thursdsay.
Senior counsel L. Ravichander, representing Nanda Kumar, argued that the arrests were made without issuing notice under Section 41-A of the Criminal Procedure Code. He brought to the notice of the court the apex court urging the High Court to consider bail to the petitioners.
Ramana Rao argued that as the crime was committed in the presence of the police, issuance of notice under Section 41-A CrPC did not arise. He submitted that the accused had collectively offered `250 crore as bribe to the four TRS MLAs.
The court allowed the bail applications because the petitioners were in judicial custody for over a month and the material part of the investigation was complete.
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