HC grants conditional bail to 3 accused in TRS MLAs poaching case

Hyderabad: A Telangana High Court Single Bench comprising Justice Dr. Chillakur Sumalatha on Thursday granted conditional bail to the three accused in the alleged poaching of TRS MLAs.

Justice Chillakur Sumalatha directed the three accused—Kore Nandu Kumar, Ramachandra Bharati, and D.P.S.K.V.N Simhayaji, who are presently lodged in Cherlapally prison—to furnish Rs. 3 lakh surety each.

The three also have to surrender their passports to the SIT.

Moreover, the accused have to report before the SIT chief every Monday between 10:30 a.m and noon till the filing of the charge sheet.

During the course of the hearing, Justice Chillakur Sumalatha asked Ravi Chander, senior counsel appearing for Kore Nandu Kumar, the ground on which he is seeking bail. Mr. Ravi Chander informed him that the police have not issued notice under Section 41A of the CrPC. This aspect is viewed seriously by the Supreme Court, too, as all three accused had also approached the apex court.

The three men were arrested on 26 October and their remand was rejected by the additional special court for ACB cases on 27 October. Later, upon the orders of this High Court, the three were again arrested on 29 October and remanded to judicial custody, briefed counsel Ravi Chander.

Justice Chillakur Sumalatha, in the order, mentioned that from the contentions of the additional public prosecutor, it is clear that the investigation commenced on 26 October and the entire material pertaining to this case has been seized by the police and it is in their possession.

Admittedly, the state has got every power to curtail those who hamper the investigation and it is more than a month since the accused have been in prison and the material part of the investigation is complete, the court noted. The court felt that it was appropriate to grant the accused bail by allowing their criminal petitions.

Justice Sumalatha also recorded in the order that the three accused belong to other states and possess different Aadhar cards and numerous passports and there is every possibility that they may flee the country.

The court also recorded the contention of additional PP that there is no need to issue notice to the three accused under Section 41A of the CrPC.

All three accused were granted bail but with conditions.

The judge was hearing three criminal petitions filed by Kore Nandu Kumar, Rama Chandra Bharati alias Satish Sharma V.K Rao, and D.P.S.K.V.N Simhyaji.