High Court defers suspended officer Jayachandra's bail till February 2

The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday deferred bail to S C Jayachandra, the suspended chief project officer of the State Highway Development Project who is accused in a money-laundering case. Justice Rathnakala deferred the bail till February 2.

The CBI counsel P Prasanna Kumar argued that Jayachandra is an influential person and if granted bail there were chances of him destroying evidence. Senior counsel C V Nagesh, appearing for Jayachandra, argued that the other accused in the case have been granted bail and his client should also be treated in the same manner.

He said that Jayachandra was already in the CBI custody for 12 days. However, the CBI’s investigating officer clarified that the agency had taken Jayachandra into custody only for five days.  

During the Income Tax department raid on Jayachandra’s house, the officials had seized Rs 25 lakh in cash, including Rs 5 lakh in new currency. Later, cases were booked against him by the I-T department, Enforcement Directorate, CBI and the State Anti-Corruption Bureau.

The judge has granted bail to Jayachandra with the conditions that he has to furnish a bond for Rs 1 lakh, a  surety, surrender his passport, should not leave the city and cooperate with the investigation, whenever sought.