Amar Singh files fresh bail plea citing medical grounds

New Delhi: Soon after the court had sent former Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh and two ex-BJP parliamentarians to jail today rejecting their bail pleas, the Rajya Sabha member immediately filed a second bail request citing medical reasons.

The Tees Hazari court in New Delhi asked the Delhi Police to respond on 8 September in this regard.

Arguing his own case before Special Judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal this afternoon, Singh told the court that he was suffering from kidney ailment and gave the assurance that he would not flee or tamper with evidence if released on bail.

“I am really not well. My body needs good care, like regular dialysis, blood tests, medication and all that. I am not going to flee and I am not going to tamper with any evidence. I am fully cooperating.

“I have not used my so-called influence on any witness. Principle of law is that a person is not guilty unless it has been proved. Till then please ask anybody, any doctor whether a person who has undergone kidney transplant needs such care or not,” Singh submitted.

Even as Singh was pleading, the judge said, “All the accused are placed equally.”

The former Samajwadi Party general secretary replied that he could not be placed equally with other accused as his case was different because of health grounds.

Earlier in the day in a swift turn of events in the 2008 cash-for-vote scam, Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh was arrested when he made a surprise appearance in a local court after first claiming that he was too ill to attend the proceedings.

The 55-year-old Singh was denied bail and taken into custody after the court sent him to Tihar jail in the case in which he has been chargesheeted by Delhi Police after Supreme Court expressed displeasure over the “shoddy” probe.

Special Judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal remanded him in judicial custody for 14 days after Singh appeared a couple of hours after pleading for exemption from personal appearance on medical grounds.

The court also rejected  bail to former BJP MPs Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahabir Singh Bhagora, who too appeared before the court responding to its summons for their alleged role in the scam.

BJP leader L K Advani’s former aide Sudheendra Kulkarni, who has also been chargesheeted in the case, did not appear in the court today as he is stated to be abroad. Armed with his medical reports, Singh made a fervent plea to the court to grant him bail saying that he has only recently undergone a kidney transplant in Singapore and required intensive round the clock medicare.

“I lost my kidneys and I am now living on borrowed kidneys. There are hazards of being in public life and there is infection in my urinary track which is dangerous for my borrowed kidney,” said Singh.

However, the judge, after going through the medical reports submitted by Singh to her, said the documents do not show his medical history after September 2010. “What has been your (Amar Singh’s) medical history since September, October 2010. Whatever you have given to me is prior to September 2010,” the judge told Singh.

Responding to the query Amar Singh said, “There was little time today.  So I could not get all the reports.”

Rejecting the bail plea of all three, the judge said “Grounds for interim bail in all three applications are similar as (those) for regular bail and will be considered at an appropriate stage. File reply.”

“Accused Amar Singh, Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahabir Singh Bhagora are taken into custody and will be produced on September 19,” the court added. “Every application for bail will be decided after replies are filed because grounds for interim bail are same as in the regular bail,” said the court while asking Delhi Police to file its reply to the bail pleas of the three.

Earlier, seeking interim bail for Singh, senior advocate Amrendra Sharan and advocate Hariharan said “there is nothing in this case and there is high probability that ultimately the accused will not be convicted and they may even be discharged.

“There is no apprehension that Singh will tamper evidence or abscond.” Sharan, a former Additional Solicitor General, said he has also been cooperating with the Delhi Police during the investigations.

The defence counsel said that he has decided to appear before the court despite his ill health he and this “good conduct also calls for grant of bail.” The prosecution, however, told that court that the bail plea should be decided on the merits only and said if the plea is considered points like the standing of the accused in the society, gravity of offence and the ability to influence witnesses must be considered.

PTI