The Hindu : Munna murder case: former MLA gets anticipatory bail

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 21, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Munna murder case: former MLA gets anticipatory bail

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI, JAN. 20. The Kerala High Court today granted anticipatory bail to P. Kumaran, former Mannarkad MLA, in the Munna murder case.

Justice G. Sasidharan ordered that if the CBI arrested him, he be released on bail on his executing a bond for Rs. 20,000 with two solvent sureties of the same sum.

Allowing the petition, the judge said that since the petitioner was a former MLA, there could not be any apprehension that he would abscond if released on bail. Besides, there could not be any apprehension that the petitioner would tamper with the evidence in the case because the investigation was being conducted by the CBI, he said.

According to the petitioner, he can be granted bail in the changed circumstances. Besides, if the CBI wanted to arrest the petitioner, he could have been arrested when he participated in the function attended by the Central and State Ministers.

The Transport Commissioner, K. P. Somarajan, has filed a writ petition seeking transfer of the investigations in the case to one of the Central units of the CBI functioning outside the State to ensure impartial and effective investigation.

Petition dismissed

A Bench comprising the Chief Justice J. L. Gupta and Justice N. K. Sodhi today dismissed a writ petition challenging the Central Government decision to allow the import of natural rubber.

The petition was filed by N. C. George, Infam secretary. The petitioner alleged that the import would affect the rubber growers in the State.

`Implement judgment'

A Bench comprising Justice J. B. Koshy and Justice K.K. Thankappan has directed the State Government to implement within a month the Manjeri Forest Tribunal's order, asking the Government to allot 140 acres of forestland located on the corridor to the Silent Valley National Park to a private individual.

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