Finally, Katta & son granted bail

In much-awaited respite to cancer-stricken former minister Katta Subramanya Naidu, the Lok Ayukta special court on Monday granted bail to him and his BBMP corporator son Katta Jagadish to avail treatment in London.

SV Srinivas, MD of ITASKA Software Company, too, is out on bail which was granted to the three on humanitarian grounds.

The three are accused of indulging in irregularities in the process of allotting land in BK Halli Post at Jala Hobli in Bangalore to a software company which belonged to Naidu’s aide.

The high court on October 31 had considered medical grounds while granting conditional bail to Naidu, after which he had filed an application to secure regular bail.

His son Jagadish, on his part, had filed for bail pleading that he be granted bail considering that he was Naidu’s only son and that he had to accompany his father to London for the treatment.

Lok Ayukta special court’s judge NK Sudhindra Rao granted regular bail to the father-son duo to ensure that Naidu availed the stem cell transplant treatment at Royal Hampstead Hospital in London for the lymph node cancer he has been suffering from. The former minister has been given an appointment by the hospital for December 19.

The judge observed that as per Supreme Court’s judgment in 2G Spectrum case wherein the main accused was granted bail, and pointed out that Jagadish had already spent 122 days in judicial custody.

Bail was granted to Itaska MD Srinivas as he was suffering from slip disc for which he had sought to be admitted to National Institute of Mental Health And Neuro Sciences (Nimhans).

Justice Rao observed that the bail applications were made due to the “changed circumstances and it was just and proper to grant bail to all three accused on humanitarian grounds. No prejudice will be caused to ends of justice if the three accused are granted bail.”

However, he has imposed certain conditions while granting bail to the three. Jagadish can accompany his father to London for medical treatment, but they shall not move out of the country for any other reason after their return.

Also, Jagadish (apart from his time in London) and Srinivas will mark their attendance before the Investigation Officer every first and third Saturday between 1pm and 2pm.

The other conditions are that they have to furnish a personal bond of Rs5 lakh each with two like sum sureties, and that they cannot tamper with prosecution witnesses.

The court has also directed Jagadish and Srinivas not to enter the KIADB office without prior permission of the court. The two accused have also to  furnish certified extracts of all their bank accounts details from 2007  till August 8, the date on which summons were issued to them.   
The two shall also not come in contact with any person in connection with the case, the court directed.
The court warned that if any of the bail conditions were violated, the accused will be “invariably arrested”. The court then adjourned the matter to Jan 16, 2012.