Walikar granted conditional bail

The Dharwad Bench of the Karnataka High Court on Monday granted a conditional bail to H B Walikar, the suspended vice-chancellor of Karnatak University Dharwad.

Walikar was arrested on October 20 by Lokayukta police on charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Indian Penal Code. As he had complained of cardiac related problems, Walikar had been first admitted to KIMS hospital in Hubballi and later shifted to the Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research in Bengaluru on October 27 for further treatment.

The single Bench, comprising judge H Billappa, heard the case and granted bail to Walikar and ordered him to furnish a bond of Rs 3 lakh with two sureties and asked him to surrender his passport. The judge said the accused should not to leave the jurisdiction of the High Court Dharwad Bench till the inquiry by the Lokayukta police was completed.

The judge also asked Walikar not to tamper with witnesses and records, and to appear without fail before the Lokayukta Investigation Officer (IO) as and when summoned by the IO and cooperate fully with the Lokayukta police.

 Walikar had approached the high court after the third additional district and session’s court designated to hear the Lokayukta cases rejected his bail petition on October 23.

Advocate V G Patil represented Walikar while Mallikarjun Hiremath pleaded on behalf of the Lokayukta Police.