NEW DELHI: Two days after sacked CWG Organising Committee Chief Suresh Kalmadi, arrested for his alleged role in Games-related graft case, the relief was extended by a court here on Saturday to two more co-accsed on the ground of parity.
Special CBI Judge Talwant Singh granted bail to former CWG OC officials Lalit Bhanot and M Jayachandran, who were arrested for their alleged roles in the case also involving Kalmadi, on personal bonds of Rs five lakh and Rs two lakh respectively with two sureties each of same amount.
“After hearing both the sides and going through the judgement of the Delhi High Court in the bail matters of co-accused Suresh Kalmadi and V K Verma and without discussing merits of the allegations against the present accused (Bhanot and Jayachandran), I am inclined to grant bail to both of them on the ground of parity,” Special CBI Judge Talwant Singh said.
While granting the relief to CWG OC’s former Secretary General Bhanot and former Treasurer Jayachandran, the court cautioned them against influencing witnesses after their release.
“The accused shall not intimidate any witness after their release on bail. They are directed not to leave the country without obtaining prior permission from this court,” the judge said.
The two accused had sought bail, claiming parity of their cases with that of Kalmadi and OC former Director General V K Verma given bail by the High Court on January 19.
The trial court had on January 4 dismissed the bail pleas of Bhanot and Jayachandran along with other co-accused.
They comprise Joint Director General (Sports) A S V Prasad, OC’s former Director General (Procurement) Surjit Lal and Hyderabad-based AKR Construction’s promoter A K Reddy.
Advocate Ramesh Gupta, appearing for Bhanot, argued his client was also a public servant like Kalmadi and Verma and he should be granted bail on the ground of parity.
“My (Bhanot) role is even lesser than the role assigned to the main accused Kalmadi by CBI and my role was equated with the role of Verma and Kalmadi in the high court order. I also deserve to be released on bail,” Gupta said while arguing for bail to Bhanot.
P K Sharma, counsel for Jayachandran, submitted his role was not more serious than the alleged role of Kalmadi.
“In the past, there was no allegation against me (Jayachandran) of threatening witnesses and even after my release on bail, I will never threaten any witness and will comply with the conditions laid down by the court,” Sharma said. (PTI)