New Delhi
The Supreme court today dismissed Rajasthan government’s appeal challenging the State High Court’s order granting anticipatory bail to the former Chairman of Jodhpur Development Authority (JDA) Rajendra Singh Solanki and three others in criminal cases involving alleged corruption.
Upholding the High Court order granting anticipatory bail to Solanki and three others, the vacation bench of Justice A.K.Sikri and Justice Deepak Gupta said that Solanki would stay away from Rajasthan for six months after his release.
However, Solanki – being the leader of opposition in Jodhpur Municipal Corporation – would be allowed to come to the city during the session of the civic body.
Dismissing the appeal by Rajasthan government, the court noted that Solanki in pursuance to the suspension of the High Court order was in jail for over 20 days and has already undergone custodial interrogation.
The court directed Solanki to stay away from the State for six months as Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that he should not be allowed to remain in Rajasthan as all the contractors who benefitted from alleged acts of wrong doings were absconding.
Solanki and others were granted anticipatory bail by the Rajasthan High court on April 21 and the Rajasthan government appealed against it. In the first hearing on May 2, while issuing the notice, the apex court had suspended the high court’s interim order granting bail.
The apex court by its May 2 order ruled: “There shall be interim suspension of the operation of impugned judgment of the high court.”
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of the state has registered four FIRs against Solanki and three others for alleged irregularities in four matters relating to development works, including violating rules pertaining to administrative and financial sanctions in 2013.