Sessions Court Grants Interim Anticipatory Bail To Karnataka State Bar Council Chairman, Vice Chairman In Misappropriation Of Funds Case
Mustafa Plumber
1 Oct 2024 6:16 PM IST
A sessions court in Bengaluru on Monday (September 30) granted interim anticipatory bail to Chairman of the State Bar Council Vishal Raghu, its Vice Chairman Vinay Mangalekar and another, who are accused of allegedly misappropriating official funds to the tune of several lakhs.
The 57the Additional City Civil and Sessions Court judge allowed the petition filed by the accused and said “The investigation in this case is to be conducted on the documents furnished regarding income and expenditure of the said conference. As such, the custodial enquiry may not be necessary”.
It added “The petitioners are the Chairman, Vice Chairman and Manager of KSBC and as such the question of fleeing away from justice will not arise. There are just and reasonable grounds to grant interim anticipatory bail to the petitioners by imposing suitable conditions.”
Accordingly the court directed petitioners are entitled to be released on interim anticipatory bail, in the event of their arrest during the pendency of this petition, on executing personal bond for Rs.1,00,000 each and on furnishing surety for the like sum.
It further said, “The petitioners shall cooperate with the investigation and they shall not tamper with the prosecution witnesses”.
The court issued notice to the prosecution and posted the matter for further hearing on October 7.
Notably, on September 27 the Karnataka High Court had rejected the plea filed by the accused seeking to quash a FIR lodged against them. The trio is booked under IPC Sections 37,34,120B(criminal conspiracy),403,406,409,420,465,468,471,477A of the Indian Penal Code on the complaint by a Member of the Council, Senior Advocate Basavaraj S.
In the complaint filed on April 17 it has been alleged that on August 12 and 13, 2023 the Karnataka State Bar Council organised state level Advocates Conference in collaboration with the Advocates Association Mysore in which the Raghu and Mangalekar had misappropriated the funds.
Case Title: VISHAL RAGHU Versus VIDHANA SOUDHA PS
Case No: Crl.Misc.9063/2024
