BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court granted anticipatory bail to Managing Director of Power TV Rakesh Shetty, while imposing certain conditions in relation to a complaint filed by Chandrakanth Ramalingam, Director of Ramalingam Constructions Company Private Limited, for allegedly demanding a cut for getting release of amount from the BDA.
The complaint came after the news channel aired a programme against the family members of Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa. Allowing the petition filed by Shetty, Justice BA Patil ordered him to execute a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh with two sureties-like sums. The judge ordered him to surrender before the investigation officer within 20 days, cooperate with the probe, and not leave the jurisdiction of the trial court without prior permission.
If the accused violates any one of the conditions, the bail is liable to be cancelled, the judge said in the order, while underlining the importance of protecting the personal liberty of a citizen, while quoting the recent Supreme Court judgment in TV journalist Arnab Goswami’s case.
Observing that it is a well settled proposition of law that the court cannot hold a mini trial while considering the bail application, the judge said it is true that background and antecedents of the accused must be known while considering the bail application. At the same time, the background and antecedents of the complainant must also be seen, he said.
The judge added that the complainant has also not come with clean hands and it appears that all is not well. “In view of this, I am of the considered opinion that in order to ascertain the truth, a fair and unbiased investigation is necessary,” he said while granting anticipatory bail to the accused.