Date:25/08/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/08/25/stories/2006082503560300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Kondaiah murder: bail petition of an accused rejected

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday rejected a bail petition by one of the accused who was allegedly involved in the murder of former Hospet MLA and former Bellary District Janata Dal Secular president Bheemaneni Kondaiah.

The petitioner, Poluru Lakshminarayana alias Narayana, had appealed against the March 6, 2006 order of the Bellary Sessions and District Court rejecting the plea for release on bail.

Narayana was among the several persons arrested by the Bellary police in connection with Kondaiah's murder.

Opposing the bail applications, Additional Public Prosecutor Rudramuni told the court that Kondaiah was murdered on the National Highway while he was returning from Hospet to Bellary and that the crime was premeditated and that it was committed in daylight.

He said Kondaiah had gone to meet the then Deputy Chief Minister M.P. Prakash in connection with a party meeting in Hospet, and some of the accused had received information about this. One of the accused had followed Kondaiah in his motorcycle.

He said the car transporting Kondaiah was stopped by the group and Kondaiah and his driver, Pavadappa, were assaulted with weapons. While Kondaiah died on the way to hospital, Mr. Pavadappa died in hospital. The Toranagal police had registered a case of murder and arrested several persons, all of them from Sriramarangapura and Navinahalli villages in Hospet taluk.

In its statement of objections, the Government said Narayana was arraigned as accused number 12 and cases had been registered against all the accused under Sections 143, 147, 148, 341, 109, 120-B and 302 read with Section 149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

It said though Narayana was not physically involved in the murder, he was part of the conspiracy to eliminate Kondaiah.

The petitioner had earlier filed a bail application which was rejected by a lower court. If released on bail, the State apprehended that Narayana might tamper with the witnesses.

Justice A.C. Kabbin rejected the bail petition.