BENGALURU: Despite the CBI Special Court granting interim bail, the suspended Chief Planning Officer of the Karnataka State Highways Improvement Project, S. C. Jayachandra, was sent to judicial custody as he could not arrange sureties as per the court condition.
The accused official, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials, after Income Tax officials unearthed illegal assets worth several crores at his residence, had moved a bail petition before the court.
After hearing arguments of the advocates representing the ED and the accused, the judge, Pradeep S Balekai, adjourned the hearing, reserving the order till afternoon.
The defence counsel argued that there was no proper evidence against his client to establish that the assets found at his residence belonged to him and submitted that the investigation by the ED was not necessary in the first place.
While, the advocate appearing on behalf of the ED argued that the investigating agency would need his custody, as the wanted some more details from the accused. He also told the court that granting bail to the accused at this stage would set a bad precedent.
Later, the judge granted the accused an interim bail with several conditions. It included that the accused should appear before the investigating agency whenever required, he should not threaten the witnesses nor try to tamper the evidence, should furnish a personal bond, provide sureties from two persons among others.
However, the accused person could not arrange two people to furnish sureties and thus he was sent to judicial custody by the court, till sureties are arranged. Following the court order, Jayachandra was shifted to Parappana Agrahara central prison.
