The Bombay High Court on Wednesday restrained the police from arresting Ramrao Patil,who had filed a complaint against former union minister Buta Singh's son Sarobjit accusing him of demanding bribe,in connection with a cheating case. Patil,a Nasik-based civil contractor,had moved High Court on Wednesday seeking anticipatory bail. But the High Court asked him to file a fresh application before Nasik Sessions Court and directed the police not to take any "coercive action" against him till August 17. Patil was booked by Nasik police for allegedly taking loans of Rs 10 crore in the names of his workers by misleading them. As some of the workers belong to backward classes,he was booked under Prevention Of Atrocities Act too. Patil's earlier bail application was rejected by sessions court because he failed to be present in the court on August 10. His lawyer on Wednesday pleaded before the High Court that Patil had to be in Mumbai magistrate's court on August 10 as his statement as a witness was being recorded as a witness in bribery case filed against Sarobjit Singh by the CBI. Justice A P Deshpande then directed Patil to file a fresh application before sessions court,which will be heard on August 17. He will have to remain present in Nasik court. Patil had accused Sarobjit of demanding bribe from him for dropping a case with the National Commission of Scheduled Castes,headed by Buta.
