E-Paper
Afzal Ansari?s plea: HC verdict on November 9
The Allahabad High Court will deliver its order on November 9, 2006 on the question of maintainability of the bail application of Samajwadi Party MP Afzal Ansari, in BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai murder case.
The Allahabad High Court will deliver its order on November 9, 2006 on the question of maintainability of the bail application of Samajwadi Party MP Afzal Ansari, in BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai murder case.
Afzal has been in jail in connection with this murder case since December 2005.
The bail application is being heard by Justice Poonam Srivastava.
Earlier, during the course of hearing, the counsel for Central Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating this murder case, raised the preliminary objection saying that the investigation of this case had been transferred from civil police to CBI on a direction of the High Court.
Therefore, Afzal Ansari is now required to move a fresh bail before the CBI court. And only after the rejection of this bail application by CBI court, he can move the bail application before the High Court.
It was further pleaded that after transfer of this case, new crime number has been given by the CBI and new evidences have now been collected.
The court, after hearing both sides, reserved its order on the issue of maintainability, which will be delivered on November 9, 2006.
To recall, BJP MLA from Ghazipur, Krishnanand Rai, along with his seven aides, was killed on November 29, 2005. MLA from Mau, Mukhtar Ansari, his brother SP MP Afzal Ansari and others were named as accused in this murder case. Election rivalry was alleged to be the reason behind the murder as Rai had defeated Afzal in the Assembly election. The civil police started investigation of this case. At one stage, the bail application of Mukhtar and Afzal were rejected by Sessions Judge, Ghazipur. They filed the present bail application challenging the order of Sessions Judge, Ghazipur. At another stage, the investigation of this case was handed over to CBI. At present, the CBI is investigating this murder case.
Now, the plea has been taken by the CBI counsel that since the case is now being investigated by CBI, the applicant should first move the bail application before the CBI court at Lucknow. And if this bail application is rejected, only then he can move the bail application before the High Court.
