Kochi: K N Sakthivel, vice-principal of the Nehru College of Engineering, Pambadi, and the third accused in the Jishnu Pranoy death case, was granted interim bail by the Kerala High Court on Monday. The court came down heavily on the police for arresting him while the anticipatory bail plea was pending. The plea was filed on April 5 and was posted to the next day. Later, after completing the arguments in the case, the court posted the plea to Monday while a special investigation team nabbed Sakthivel from a farmhouse at Annur, near Coimbatore, on Sunday.
Special prosecutor C.P. Udayabhanu who opposed the bail plea said that there was no specific order from the court not to arrest him and hence there was no legal hurdle in doing so. He also submitted that the investigating officer had filed a petition before the magistrate court seeking custody of Sakthivel and said that if he was released on bail at this juncture, that move will be defeated.
However, the court said the case of Sakthivel prima facie does not attract section 306 (abetment to suicide). The court ordered bail on executing a bond of Rs 50,000 and two solvent sureties for the like sum. Sakthivel was also ordered not to enter Nehru College premises and not to interfere in the functioning of the college. The prosecution also submitted that two other accused in the case, Praveen and Dipin, will not be arrested till the disposal of the anticipatory bail plea filed by them
