Lokayukata graft case: SC allows accused to approach trial court for bail

Bengaluru, Apr 2: The Supreme Court on Friday allowed a plea by Karnataka Lokayukta's former public relations officer Syed Riyaz and others to approach the trial court for bail in the case pertaining to the extortion racket reportedly run by them through the office of anti-corruption watchdog.

A bench of Justices P C Ghose and Amitava Roy set aside the Karnataka HC order, dated Sept 15, 2015, which granted the bail to the four accused. However, the order was then stayed a day after by the SC on a plea by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) .

Senior advocate Gopal Subramaniam, appearing for the accused, submitted that the accused be permitted to file a regular bail application before the trial court as charge sheet has already been filed after the completion of the investigation.

Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra and advocate Joseph Aristotle, representing the SIT, submitted that they have no objection to the accused approaching the trial court for the regular bail.

Taking submission of the counsel into record, the court disposed of the pending special leave petition (SLP) by the SIT and gave liberty to the accused to file their bail application in the trial court, which would decide their plea on merit without getting influenced from any observation from the apex court.

Lokayukta PRO Riyaz, television journalist M B Srinivasa Gowda and two others Shankare Gowda and Ashok Kumar had filed the plea in apex court.

The SIT registered five cases and arrested about 11 people, including Lokayukta's son prime accused Y Ashwin Rao. Justice Bhaskar Rao, appointed to the post of Lokayukta in February, 2013, has resigned on December 8 last after the racket was unearthed.