A Delhi court on Thursday refused anticipatory bail to Delhi Food and Civil Supplies Minister Imran Hussain and four others in a case of allegedly demanding Rs. 30 lakh from a businessman for allowing him to construct an extra room on a four-storeyed house built on a 65-square-yard plot in Ballimaran, Old Delhi.
Though the counsel for the bail applicants submitted before Additional Judge Sidharth Sharma that the matter had been compounded between the complainant and them, and that both parties were likely to move the Delhi High Court for quashing of the FIR, the Judge rejected their plea.
“Considering the fact that the matter is serious and the offences not compoundable, and considering the evidence so far, I do not find it a fit case for grant of anticipatory bail. Applications are therefore dismissed,” the Judge said.
The Additional Public Prosecutor in the case also opposed the bail applications submitting that the offences they were charged with were not compoundable as the punishment under sections 387 (putting or attempting to put a person in fear of death or grievous hurt) and 389 (putting a person in fear of accusation of an offence punishable with death, imprisonment for life or imprisonment for ten years in order to commit extortion) was seven years and 10 years respectively.
Earlier this year, the Jafrabad police in north-east Delhi had booked the five accused under sections 120-B, (criminal conspiracy), 387 and 389 on a complaint lodged by Mohammed Quasim.
Apart from Imran Hussain, the other accused include his brothers Irfan Hussain and Funjan Hussain, and Mohsin Ahmed and Hammad, who work for him.
According to the complaint, when Mohammed Quasim and his brothers went to meet the Minister at his house in Jafrabad based on an instruction by Mohsin, he was asked to pay Rs. 30 lakh to allow the room to be constructed. His brothers and he were reportedly abused when they objected to the amount being demanded. It is also alleged that Mohsin took out a pistol in a bid to scare them into accepting the demand.
Further, the Minister allegedly threatened to implicate them in a rape or murder case if they did not agree. Thereafter, the Minister went away asking them to talk to his brothers and Mohsin. The trio later threatened to kill them if they did not make the payment.
When the complainant met the Junior Engineer of the area with regard to the matter, the engineer expressed helplessness saying there was a lot of pressure on him by the Minister.
The complainant had recorded his conversations with the Junior Engineer, Hammad and Funjan Hussain and provided a copy of the transcripts to the police along with the complaint.
Counsel for bail applicants said that both parties were likely to move the HC for quashing of FIR
