The Delhi High Court yesterday granted anticipatory bail to former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao till Octo-ber 14, when he is scheduled to appear before the trial court in connection with framing of charges in the St Kitts case. Justice S K Mahajan, while granting the anticipatory bail, ruled that Rao be freed on bail in the event of his arrest on furnishing a bail bond of Rs 25,000 and a surety of the same amount.
The court also granted anticipatory bail to former Union minister K K Tewary and former enforcement director K L Verma under the same conditions which apply to Rao.
Justice Mahajan allowed the three accused to approach the trial court for seeking regular bail. Chief metropolitan magistrate Prem Kumar had issued non-bailable warrants against the three last week after taking cognisance of the CBI chargesheet .
It will be for the court concerned to decide on their applications on merit, Justice Mahajan said in his 11-page order.
The court rejected the argument of Raos counsel that it would be futile to approach the trial court for bail as it had already made up its mind regarding the accused. The judge said the apprehension of Raos counsel was not shared by K K Tewary.
Rejecting the contention of the CBI that the anticipatory bail applications of the accused were not maintainable, Justice Mahajan said: The issuance of non-bailable warrants by the magistrate against a person justifiably gives rise to an apprehension of arrest and entitles a person to make a prayer for his anticipatory bail.
The 15-page chargesheet filed by the CBI in the court on September 26 alleged that Rao, then external affairs minister, had played an active role in forging documents to implicate Ajeya Singh to damage the reputation of his father, former Prime Minister V P Singh. The CBI alleged that a conspiracy was hatched in 1989 to defame V P Singh, who had emerged as a strong opposition leader after leaving the Congress government.