Kishan Kumar gets anticipatory bail

The court granted IAB to Kumar after his counsel R K Anand and I U Khan moved an application challenging the police move to seek his remand from the lower court.

Anand told the HC that police yesterday had moved an application before a metropolitan magistrate for the remand of Kumar, who is presently lodged in Tihar Jail under judicial custody in connection with a Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) case.

The court took strong exception to police counsel S K Saxena’s contention that Kumar was required by the police for further interrogation and the application for his remand was moved in the lower court considering this fact.

Justice Siddique said police had enough opportunity to arrest Kumar. "You had enough opportunity to arrest him. Why did you not arrest him?" he asked.

The court also directed the police to produce the case diary on April 25, the next date of hearing.

Kumar’s counsel claimed that police has registered a "false case" against his client as no charges of cheating and criminal conspiracy could be made out against him. "Even if he is charged with match fixing, it will amount only to gambling which is a bailable offence," Anand said.

Meanwhile, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sangeeta Dhingra Sehgal directed the police to hand over all documents relating to alleged hawala transactions by Kumar and another match fixing accused Rajesh Kalra to Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The direction followed an application by ED which sought possession of all relevant records seized by the police about the alleged money transactions by the two.

The court said that all the papers seized by the police should be handed over to ED investigating officials by this evening.

The court also granted permission to ED to interrogate Kumar in Tihar Jail on Friday and Saturday with the direction that only two of its investigating officials would question him.