Hyderabad: The High Court on Friday granted bail to irrigation and CAD chief engineer K. Suresh Kumar, who was booked by the ACB under a disproportionate assets case. The court pointed out miscalculation done during the investigation process and on those circumstances, the bail was granted. It said the assets (money) belonging to his US-based son were calculated as those of Mr Kumar. The chief engineer was backed by the Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao after an allegation of harassment by the ACB.
Sources told this newspaper, “The High Court while hearing the bail petition, reviewed the statements furnished by the ACB to the court. It found that amount of money seized by the ACB was inaccurately calculated. The source of income of Mr Kumar’s son working in the US was legitimate and it has been incorrectly calculated. The court granted bail on one condition that the accused appears before the ACB every Wednesday of the week and also directed for further investigation into the case”.
The case of Mr Kumar stands out from other cases as the alleged accused was backed by the Chief Minister
On the July 5, the ACB carried raids and dug out properties worth '3.8 crore against his legitimate income as a government officer.
Following his arrest, other senior officers informed the Chief Minister in a review meeting, that Mr Kumar was wrongly booked as most of the properties the ACB seized are owned by his children, they alleged. Reportedly, the Chief Minister dialled the ACB chief and asked him to facilitate the bail petition.
The ACB submitted the bail petition at the special court in Karimnagar where Mr Kumar was produced, but the court dismissed the No objection certificate (NOC) and pointed out double standards in this particular case. The court said the ACB on the one hand booked the officer, while on the other hand issued NOC which accelerates for the bail petition. Later, the ACB filed an NOC in High Court that granted bail to Suresh Kumar.
