KOCHI: The High Court on Monday granted interim bail to N K Sakthivel, vice-principal of the Nehru College of Engineering and Research Centre at Pambadi in Thrissur and the third accused in the Jishnu Pranoy case. Sakthivel was arrested from a farmhouse at Annur, near Coimbatore, on Sunday afternoon.
The court criticised the police for arresting the accused while his anticipatory bail plea was pending. It was not fair on the part of the investigating officer to arrest the accused while the plea was to be disposed of in a few days.
After completing arguments, the court posted the case to Monday. However, the police arrested Sakthivel on Sunday.
Opposing the move to grant interim bail, special prosecutor C P Udayabhanu said there was no legal impediment in arresting the accused while the plea was pending as there was no specific order from the court not to arrest him.
The question of propriety and other aspects are only academic exercises, he said. The court asked the petitioner to execute a bond of Rs 50,000 and two solvent sureties for the like sum. He should not enter the Nehru College or interfere in its day to day affairs.