The Hindu : SC to hear Hindujas' plea for bail relaxation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 12, 2003

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National

SC to hear Hindujas' plea for bail relaxation

By Our Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI Feb. 11. The Supreme Court will hear on February 17 the plea of the Hinduja brothers, accused in the `Bofors payoff case', seeking relaxation of the bail condition that at least one of the three brothers should remain in India for the trial.

A three-Judge Bench comprising the Chief Justice V.N. Khare, Justice S.B. Sinha and Justice A.R. Lakshmanan posted the matter for Monday after it was `mentioned' by senior counsel for the Hindujas, Ram Jethmalani, who wanted the court to decide the matter expeditiously.

Mr. Jethmalani submitted that the Hinduja brothers had dutifully obeyed the court order permitting all of them to go abroad to celebrate Diwali for one month and one of them returned to India even before the expiry of the one-month period. The Bench accepted the requested and fixed February 17 for hearing the plea.

The Supreme Court while ordering their release on bail had made it clear that at least one of the three brothers should be present in India at any point of time. But this condition was relaxed in October last for a month to enable them to be in their home abroad for Diwali.

The apex court had stayed the commencement of trial from December 4 and posted the case for hearing in March and in the meanwhile the Hindujas have sought relaxation of the bail condition.

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