Chandraswami Bail Plea Rejected

The Delhi High Court yesterday rejected the eighth bail plea of Chandraswami and his associate K N Aggarwal, accused in the $100,000 Lakhubhai Pathak cheating case, on grounds that they may tamper with evidence if released. Rejecting the duo's third bail application in the high court, Justice S K Mahajan noted that the statement of the main witness, NRI businessman Lakhubhai Pathak, was yet to be completed and as such he did not see any ground to admit the petitioners to bail. Referring to CBI counsel Gopal Subramaniam's contention that Chandraswami had tried to secure bail on health grounds on the basis of a false medical report in May this year, Justice Mahajan said If petitioners sitting in jail can make attempts to obtain false medical reports, the possibility of their tampering with evidence, once they are out of jail on bail, cannot be ruled out." Special CBI judge Ajit Bharihoke is to decide on September 21 whether former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao is to be summoned in connection with the case .