Sudhagaran denied bail

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, JULY 11. The bail application of Mr. V.N. Sudhagaran, arrested on June 13 for attempting to murder an estranged associate and for possessing 16 grams of heroin, was dismissed by the Madras High Court today.

When the application came up for hearing, the Public Prosecutor, Mr. Gomathinayagam, pointed out that the complainant, Mr. Gopu Sridhar, and his driver were still in the Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, and the revolver used by Mr. Sudhagaran was yet to be seized.

Two of the accused - Messrs RBI Basgeeran and Salahuddin - were absconding and the vehicle used during the commission of the offence remained to be recovered, the PP argued.

Mr. Justice Malai Subramanian accepted the prosecution contention that Mr. Sudhagaran could tamper with evidence and threaten witnesses if he was enlarged on bail.

Remand extended

Meanwhile, Mr. A.C. Arumugaperumal Adityan, Special Judge-I, extended till July 18 the remand in judicial custody of Mr. Sudhagaran, who is the third accused in the `disproportionate wealth case' against Ms. Jayalalithaa.

As a new special public prosecutor has not yet been appointed, the court adjourned the case to July 18. When the defence counsel requested the court to post the case to July 25, the judge said the PCA envisaged speedy trial of the cases. Also, a prosecution witness, a bank official, had been coming several times, for being cross-examined. Hence, he was adjourning the case only by a week.

Haribhaskar wealth case

In the `disproportionate wealth case' against the former Chief Secretary, Mr. N. Haribhaskar, a prosecution witness, Mr. C.D. Devadasasundaram, Chairman of a group of companies, including one of flat promotion, said Mr. V.N. Rajan, a former DGP of Kerala, had purchased a flat on Arundale Beach Road, Besant Nagar here (involved in the case) from the promoters.

During chief examination before, Mr. S.S.P. Darwesh, Special Judge-II, the witness said the promoters had given a receipt for Rs. 14 lakhs. The total cost came to Rs. 19 lakhs. The entire cost was paid by Mr. Rajan himself.

During cross-examination by defence, he said though the cost of the flat was Rs. 14 lakhs, interior decoration costing Rs. 5 lakhs was done as requested by the purchaser.

He had never seen Mr. Haribhaskar. He also said Mr. Rajan had told him that he would sell his property in Thiruvananthapuram for purchasing the flat.

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