By IANS
New Delhi : The Supreme Court Wednesday dismissed the bail plea of Akhilesh Pratap Singh, an independent legislator from Uttar Pradesh facing trial in a string of heinous cases, including murder.
A bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Justice R.V. Raveendran and Justice J.M. Panchal turned down the bail plea of Rae Bareilly legislator Singh saying that the case is not fit for his release on bail.
The bench delivered its verdict on the bail plea of the mafia don-turned politician after keeping its judgement reserved for nearly a year. The apex court had reserved its ruling on Singh’s plea in Aril 2007.
Singh had contested the 2007 assembly election from the jail and had managed to retain his seat.
Singh had approached the apex court, challenging an Allahabad High Court verdict, cancelling his bail in a case involving the murder of one Rakesh Pandey.
Singh in his plea, through senior counsel Ram Jethmalani, had contended that the trial court has already examined all material witnesses including eyewitnesses and there was no justification to keep him in the jail.
But the senior counsel Ranjit Kumar, appearing for the complainant and wife Bharti Pandey of the deceased, had contended that many witnesses were being intimidated and terrorised by the legislator and the high court had recorded in its judgement that the accused had misused his liberty while on bail.
Kumar had also pointed out to the court that some of the crucial witnesses were not able to depose before the trail court in Uttar Pradesh fearing Singh.