High Court puts off Raghavji's bail plea as lawyers protest

Madhya Pradesh High Court today put off the hearing on bail application of former state Finance Minister Raghavji, arrested on charges of sodomy on July 9, as lawyers protested the priority given to his plea.

However, Justice T K Kaushal accepted his application for better medical facilities in view of his age and health issues such as blood pressure and sugar problem. The judge directed jail authorities to examine Raghavji's request for transfer to hospital in view of deteriorating health, his lawyer Raghvendra Singh Raghuwanshi said.

As some members of state Bar Association opposed the court taking up the former minister's bail plea on a priority basis, Raghavji himself urged the court to consider his application as that of a common man, and fix a later date, advocate Raghuwanshi said.

The HC posted the hearing on bail plea on August 12.

Earlier, opposing the bail plea, Assistant Solicitor General Rashid Suhail Siddiqui said that if set free, the accused may influence the witnesses using his 'money power'.

Siddiqui contended that before the arrest, Raghavji allegedly kidnapped the victim's father and forced him to give a statement that his son -- who was working as a servant for the former minister for a couple of years -- was mentally imbalanced.

While eight other lawyers sought to intervene in the matter to protest precedence given to Raghavji's bail plea by the court.