BENGALURU: The First Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) court has reserved the order on bail petition filed by former BJP minister G Janardhana Reddy, who was arrested by the CCB police in connection with a multi-crore cheating case, till Wednesday.
When the case came up for hearing on Tuesday, senior counsel C H Hanumantharaya, representing Reddy, argued that all the five other accused in the case were already granted bail.“Soon after the police issued notice, my client appeared before the police and extended full cooperation to the investigation. His aide Ali Khan had borrowed `20 crore as loan from the proprietor of Ambidant Marketing Pvt Ltd and my client had knowledge about it. He has told that to the Central Crime Branch (CCB) police as well and made a statement that he will help the proprietor of the firm recover the money. He is not involved the firm’s business in anyway.”
He also submitted that Reddy has to appear before Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in other cases and thus he has to be granted bail.The public prosecutor contended that the accused is an influential person and a bail granted to him would hamper investigations.But the magistrate questioned the public prosecutor what the connection was between the petitioner and the firm. “The complainant has not taken the name of the petitioner (Reddy) in his complaint. None of the investors have pointed towards the involvement of the petitioner. So, how is he (Reddy) connected to the case? There is not even a single allegation against the petitioner but the police claim that he is linked to the case,” the magistrate asked.
The order was reserved till Wednesday and the hearing was adjourned.
ALI KHAN FILES AFFIDAVIT
Reddy’s close aide Ali Khan filed an affidavit in the court stating that he was ready to pay `18 crore to the firm if the prosecution proves that he had taken gold worth `18 crore from the firm.Meanwhile, the CCB filed a petition seeking cancellation of interim anticipatory bail granted to Khan.
BBMP CORPORATOR’S HOUSE SEARCHED
As part of the investigation, a CCB team conducted search in the house of BBMP Shivajinagar ward councillor Fareeda Ishtiaq on Monday.As her husband Ishtiaq Pailwan, a history-sheeter, is said to have business links with Ambidant firm, the police searched the house and seized some documents. They also questioned him and gathered details.