The High Court of Karnataka on Thursday refused to grant bail to S.C. Jayachandra, suspended chief project officer of the State Highway Development Project, in the cases booked by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the State’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) after seizure of demonetised currencies and ₹2,000 notes from his house during a raid by the Income Tax Department in November last year.
While the ED has complained that he had misused his official position, along with other accused, to launder his ill-gotten money, the ACB has alleged that he is in possession of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Petitions dismissed
Justice P.S. Dinesh Kumar dismissed petitions filed by Mr. Jayachandra seeking bail.
However, the court on examining documents and statements, including that of his wife, produced by the ED, found that he cannot be enlarged on bail at this stage.
The court also noticed that Mr. Jayachandra has been facing a disproportionate assets case registered by the Karnataka Lokayukta police in 2008 in which he has been accused of possessing disproportionate assets 102.6% more than his known sources of income.
On his plea for release on bail in the ACB case, the court said the accused officer can renew his plea for release on bail if he is granted bail in the case filed by the ED at a later stage and if the High Court passes an order in his favour in a pending writ petition in which he has questioned the legality of the case booked by the ACB.
