The Bombay High Court today rejected the anticipatory bail plea of four corporators from neighbouring Thane district accused of abetting the suicide of builder Suraj Parmar.
"Considering the enornmity and gravity of the offence and the allegations levelled against the four applicants (corporators), their anticipatory bail pleas are rejected," Justice Ajey Gadkari said.
The four corporators - Vikrant Chavan (Congress), Najib Mulla, Hanumant Jagdale (both NCP) and Sudhakar Chavan (independent) - had approached the high court in November seeking pre-arrest bail after a sessions court in Thane rejected their plea for the same.
The high court had on November 3 granted the four interim protection from arrest and posted their petitions for final hearing.
With the high court rejecting their bail pleas, the four corporators will either have to approach the Supreme Court or face arrest.
Parmar, a leading builder, had shot himself on October 7. His suicide note alleged that a nexus of corporators and officials was harassing him for bribes.
Thane Police had registered a case of abetment of suicide under the IPC and 'criminal misconduct' under the Prevention of Corruption Act as the suicide note allegedly named these four corporators.
Public prosecutor Raja Thakare, while opposing the bail pleas, told the court today that the police needs custodial interrogation of the four accused to ascertain financial transactions.
Thakare also told the court that one of the accused had transferred over Rs one crore to the account of an NCP MLA and all this needs to be thoroughly probed.
