The judicial custody for the former Minister Hartalu Halappa, who is facing, among other things, charges of sexual misconduct, has been extended up to May 24 on the application made by the CID investigating officers. Acting JMFC Ravi Kanth who heard the application on Monday posted the next hearing on May 24.
Meanwhile, the application filed on behalf of Mr. Halappa seeking anticipatory bail in the District and Sessions Court on May 5 has become infructuous in view of his appearing personally before the CID investigating officers here on Sunday. The CID had served a notice on him to appear before its sleuths in Bangalore before May 10. The court which had accepted the application for anticipatory bail posted the hearing to May 11.
Mr. Halappa who is undergoing treatment in a ICCU ward in the McGann Hospital was not produced before the court.
In the meantime, the petition seeking the bail for Mr. Halappa on health grounds has been filed in the Karnataka High Court, according to information reaching here, and it is likely to come up for hearing on Tuesday.
Ashok Bhat appearing on behalf of Mr. Halappa told presspersons that it was inevitable to seek the bail on health grounds as the former Minister had been suffering from many complications requiring constant medical attention.
When asked why Mr. Halappa chose to appear before the CID team in Shimoga one day before the deadline set by its investigating officer Mr. Bhat said he had done it to facilitate the investigation since the jurisdiction of the case was Shimoga city. He said: “As a law abiding citizen Mr. Halappa appeared before the investigating officers.”
The CID officers filed the application seeking blood samples of Mr. Halappa, which was opposed by his lawyer on the ground that it was not correct to take the blood samples from him when he was undergoing treatment for his multi-organ diseases. The Magistrate posted the hearing on the objection to May 15.
Director of McGann Hospital Mahendrappa told presspersons on Monday that Mr. Halappa was a multi-ogran disease patient for the past several years suffering from diabetes, blood pressure, allergic bronchitis and positional vertigo.
He said that though his clinical parameters were satisfactory, he needed to be kept under the constant medical supervision at least for three days.
He said that a team of doctors would examine him after two days and if there was any need for the further cardiac treatment, he would be referred to the Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology in Bangalore as there were no facilities such as angiography at the McGann Hospital.
