The Hindu : Tehelka reporter granted bail

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 14, 2003

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Tehelka reporter granted bail

By Our Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI Jan. 13. The Supreme Court today granted bail to Kumar Badal, reporter of the Tehelka portal, who is in judicial custody since July last for his alleged involvement in a poaching case.

A Bench, comprising Justice Santosh Hegde and Justice B.P. Singh, rejected the argument of the Additional Solicitor-General, Raju Ramachandran, on behalf of the CBI, that another two months was required to complete the investigation and till then no bail should be granted to Mr. Badal.

Pointing out to the delay in completing the investigation in the case even after six months, the Bench observed: "If you want to finish the probe you can do it within 24 hours and if you don't want, the investigation can go on even for 24 years."

Senior counsel, Kapil Sibal, appearing for Mr. Badal, contended that the CBI had failed to complete the probe in a simple case like this even after six months when the maximum punishment for the offence was three years. Mr. Ramachandran said the accused was not cooperating in the investigation and had refused to give a specimen of his handwriting and further senior executives of the portal had tried to influence the investigation.

Mr. Badal was arrested for offences under the Wildlife Protection Act and Arms Act for alleged involvement in the filming of poaching in the Mohand forest range in Shajahanpur in Uttar Pradesh with the help of two locals. As the Allahabad High Court had rejected his bail application on October 22 last, he filed the present appeal in the Apex court.

The Bench directed that Mr. Badal be released on bail on his executing a personal bond for Rs. 50,000 with two sureties each for a like sum. He should not enter the district of Saharanpur till the pendency of the trial and report before the investigating officer of the CBI at Delhi on the first Monday of every month. The Nobel laureate, V.S. Naipual, and his wife, Nadira, were present in the court during the hearing.

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