MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Friday refused to grant anticipatory bail to 10 persons who had been summoned by Theni CB-CID in the recent land scam case.
The case pertained to the illegal sale of nearly 180 acres of government land in Theni. As many as 14 persons, including eight government officials and an AIADMK functionary, one Annaprakash, were initially booked by the District Crime Branch police in December last year but the case was later transferred to the CB-CID.
Meanwhile, nine relatives of Annaprakash, who had been summoned by the CB-CID for inquiry, approached the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court this month seeking anticipatory bail. They claimed that the case had been registered due to political vengeance.
Justice K Murali Shankar, however, noted that the petitioners have not been added as accused in the case yet. He directed the petitioners to appear before the CB-CID for inquiry and cooperate with the investigation. If the CB-CID wants to arrest the petitioners, they can do so after obtaining an order from the judicial magistrate concerned, he added.
He also told the CB-CID to take into account the age of Annaprakash’s mother Pappammal (75) while proceeding with the inquiry. A similar order was passed in another anticipatory bail petition filed by one Amarjothi in the case.