Nalapad bail plea on hold; counsel says he was falsely implicated

The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday adjourned the bail plea of Mohammed Nalapad Haris, arrested for his involvement in assaulting a man in a pub.

Justice Sreenivas Harish Kumar adjourned the petition, saying he will hear the main bail plea and not the interim application after Special Public Prosecutor M S Shyamsundar sought two days to file objections on allowing Nalapad on bail.

Justice Kumar also allowed Alam Pasha, who runs an NGO, to assist the prosecution in the case.

Senior council C A Nagesh, representing Nalapad, raised no objections on Pasha assisting the prosecution.

Advocate Usman P, who filed Nalapad's bail application, said the son of the Shantinagar MLA was falsely implicated in the case and that dented his reputation. The complaint does not indicate that Nalapad committed any overt act that could be considered a non-bailable offence.

The petition also states that the rejection of bail by the sessions court caused serious prejudice in view of subsequent revelations by the doctors.

The victim feigned illness and was not cooperating with the doctors and the investigating agency to record his statement. Doctors treating him have certified that it was a clear case of malingering since February 25.

While the statements of the accused were recorded soon after they surrendered, the victim did not cooperate with the investigating agencies and he attempted to manipulate medical records to create false and imaginary grounds for rejection of Nalapad's bail, the petition said.

The assault was a spontaneous incident spurred by a drunken brawl and the victim did not sustain injuries to the vital parts of his body that could have caused death, the bail plea said.

The incident was blown out of proportion and Nalapad was unjustly subjected to media trial because he happens to be the son of an MLA, said the petition.

It also said the victim is the son of an influential businessman and there are no apprehensions about his safety, except for the SPP's claims that he is facing threats.

It conveyed Nalapad's submissions that he will cooperate with the probe and abide by the conditions the court may impose on him.