New Delhi: The Supreme Court has upheld the Karnataka High Court's order cancelling bail of a Kannada Channel BTV journalist, Gangadharappa Munindra Kumar alias G M Kumar in a case related to serious economic offences by misusing the name of the company and misappropriation of Rs 10 crore.
A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Ahsanuddin Amanullah agreed with a contention of senior advocate Anand Sanjay M Nuli on behalf of the complainant-director Ashwin Mahendra that custodial interrogation of the petitioner was required in the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case.
The counsel submitted valid and cogent reasons have been assigned by the High Court while cancelling the bail on April 19, 2024 as the petitioner has yet not been interrogated by the police despite the arrest.
It was alleged the accused-petitioner misused the PAN card, KYC details of the company belonging to other Directors and committed serious economic offence and he has transferred Rs 10 crores.
The complainant also claimed that he was unaware of the opening and operation of the account in the name of M/s Eagle Sight Media Pvt Ltd until he received the notice from Enforcement Department for alleged laundering of money.
The Karnataka government represented by advocate V N Raghupathy also opposed the plea.
"Under these circumstances, looking at the facts of this case, we see no reason to differ with the findings of the High Court. Consequently, the petition is dismissed. Petitioner is given two weeks’ time to surrender," the bench said in its order on July 30.
The court gave the petitioner time till August 13, 2024 to surrender.
It also asked the trial court to expedite the matter in true letter and spirit of Section 309 of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973.
Petitioner Kumar was aggrieved with the HC's order which cancelled the bail.
The FIR in the case was lodged on August 3, 2022 for the offence punishable under Sections 406, and 420 IPC and a charge sheet on May 17, 2023.
Complainant Ashwin Mahendra, Director of M/s Eagle Sight Media Pvt Ltd, alleged the petitioner unauthorisedly used certain document and opened current account at ICICI Bank Vijayanagar branch and transacted with huge sums of money.
The petitioner was arrested on November 25, 2023. He was granted bail by the sessions court Bengaluru on December 13, 2023.
Published 04 August 2024, 13:31 IST
