The Karnataka High Court on Thursday directed the prison authorities not to release S.C. Jayachandra, a suspended chief project officer of the State Highway Development Project, from judicial custody till December 29.
Justice John Michael Cunha passed the interim order on a petition filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seeking a direction for cancelling the interim bail granted by a special court to Mr. Jayachandra in a money laundering case.
The case was registered against him after lakhs rupees in new currency and documents related to assets worth over crores of rupees were seized from his house during a raid by the Income Tax Department recently.
It was contended on behalf of the ED that there was no provision for granting interim bail under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and the special court had not heard the prosecutor before granting bail.
Not on bail
Though he was granted bail in the case registered by the ED, he was not released on bail as the Central Bureau of Investigation sought his custody subsequently.
He is now lodged in the Central Prison under judicial custody.
