The High Court on Monday granted one week’s time to Joseph Chacko, accused of leading a team that allegedly cheated about 70 NRIs in the name of constructing service apartments in Bangalore, for appearing before the Investigating Officer(IO).

Justice H Bhillappa set aside an order of sessions court that had rejected Chacko’s application seeking extension of the time granted for appearing before the IO, while allowing his petitions with regard to four of the several cases registered against him by the city cops. The sessions court had earlier granted an anticipatory bail giving four days’ time for Chacko to appear before the IO.

Chacko, hailing from Kerala, was among the four persons alleged to have cheated 70 NRIs of about Rs 8 crore. They had allegedly advertised in a newspaper of Qatar that they were constructing a service apartment and lured the NRIs to invest. Later, they had constructed an Apartment complex in Hennur but, had not handed over any apartments to the investors, it was alleged. The other three accused were arrested in May 2007, while Chacko was absconding.