Jerath8217;s bail plea adjourned

CHANDIGARH, June 28: Hearing on the bail application filed by K.K. Jerath was today adjourned for a day by UT District and Sessions Judge B.S. Bedi. Jerath, who is in presently in judicial custody in the FIR dated March 16, filed the application here on June 21 and notice on the same had been issued to the state.

The judge, who was hearing another case, adjourned arguments on the application till tomorrow. It may be recalled that bail pleas of C.J. Rai and Jagdish Chander Gilhotra, others arrested in FIR 1 pertaining to preparation of inflated estimates of works by the Engineering Department have already been dismissed by the judge on grounds that the investigation was at an initial stage and statements of witnesses were yet to be recorded.

In his bail plea, Jerath has submitted that although the FIR was lodged on March 16, he was arrested after three months with the sole purpose of prolonging his detention.

He added that the FIR was no different than registered against him in which he was already under trial.

The applicant stated that the allegations levelled in FIR 1 are the same as those levelled in FIR 3 of 1998. He also added that this FIR was a reproduction of the inquiry report submitted by Deputy Home Secretary Sanjeev Khirwar on June 16, 1998. The said inquiry had been conducted on a complaint of J.S. Sawhney.