The Allahabad High Court today rejected the bail plea of senior IAS officer Pradeep Shukla, who has been named by the CBI as a key accused in the multi-crore NRHM scam of Uttar Pradesh.
Justice Shashi Kant Gupta said "having regard to the nature and gravity of the offence, without expressing any opinion on merits, bail application is hereby rejected".
The CBI, which is investigating irregularities in implementation of National Rural Health Mission scheme in UP, had opposed the bail plea of Shukla, who was formerly the state's Principal Secretary (Health and Family Welfare).
The probe agency had submitted that "the trial is being held on a day-to-day basis and in case the applicant is enlarged on bail, he could influence the witnesses and vitiate the possibility of fair trial".
"The grant of bail to the applicant would facilitate the other accused persons to seek bail on parity since the applicant is the main accused", CBI counsel Anurag Khanna had added.
