AMN / New Delhi
In a set-back to Bollywood producer Karim Morani – accused in an alleged rape case – the Supreme court on Friday refused to interfere with the Andhra Pradesh High Court order rejecting his plea for anticipatory bail.
The bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M.Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y.Chandrachud asked the film producer to appear before the trial court for grant of regular bail even as senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi told the court that a bail could only be cancelled if there was an attempt to tamper with evidence.
Rohatgi appearing for the film producer Morani told the court that it was question of cancellation of bail and not grant of bail.
The top court refused to grant any relief to Morani, even as Rohatgi told the court that today (Sept. 22) was the last day for the film producer to surrender.
“He is in Delhi, he lives in Mumbai and he has to surrender in Hyderabad”, Rohatgi told the court.
Opposing the plea by Rohatgi, counsel Karuna Nandi appearing for the victim girl told the court that accused Morani had suppressed from the trial court the fact of his being in jail for his involvement in 2G case.
Morani’s name had figured as an accused in the 2G spectrum scam and he was allegedly involved in helping channel funds to the tune of RS 200 crore to Tamil channel Kalaignar TV.
On a complaint by a 25 year old Delhi woman alleging that Morani had raped her in Mumbai and at a film studio in Hyderabad in 2015 after promising to marry her, the Hayathnagar police had registered a case against the film producer.
Morani was booked by the police for the offices under IPC Sections 417 (cheating), 376 (rape) 342 (wrongful confinement), 506 (criminal intimidation), 493 (cohabitation caused by a man deceitfully inducing a belief of marriage).
Morani was granted anticipatory bail by the trial court but the same was cancelled later by the trial court in March when victim woman said that he was threatening and blackmailing her.
He moved the High court against the cancellation of his bail but the same was declined last week.