HC grants grants anticipatory bail to Karnataka Minister

Karnataka High Court today granted regular anticipatory bail to state Higher Education Minister C T Ravi in connection with a case accusing him of abuse of official power in securing land allotment.

Justice V Jagannathan  granted anticipatory bail to Ravi and also to his wife, sister and brother-in-law, co-accused, on the condition that they furnish a personal bond of Rs two lakh each and two sureties for like sum.

He directed Ravi, who became a Minister last week when he was inducted in the Jagadish Shettar Ministry last week, to take the permission of the concerned court in case he was required to go out of the state or the country.

Last month, the court had granted interim anticipatory bail to Ravi and others. The case against them was registered based on a private  complaint filed in the Lokayukta court.

 They had moved the high court after the Lokayukta court summoned them to appear
 before it.

Complainant Deviprasad had accused Ravi and his family members of securing allotment of civic amenity sites and residential sites violating rules.

Lokayukta Police, which investigated the complaint, had twice filed reports absolving the accused, but Lokayukta judge N K Sudhindra Rao had on April 3 rejected them on the ground that it was "contrary" to the documentary evidence and directed the police to conduct further probe.