HC refuses anticipatory bail to Bar Council of India VC Raj

New Delhi, Jan 29 (PTI) The Delhi High Court hasrefused anticipatory bail to Bar Council of India (BCI) ViceChairman Dhanapal Raj, allegedly involved in a corruptioncase, saying if granted the relief he may hamper the probe andinfluence witnesses due to his social status.

Dismissing Raj''s bail plea, Justice Hima Kohli said"having regard to the status of the petitioner, who is notonly a member of the Tamil Nadu Bar Council but also the BCIvice chairman, there can be no doubt about the influence thathe wields in the society in general and in the legalfraternity in particular."

"The relief sought by the petitioner (Raj) in the presentpetition for grant of anticipatory bail may result inhampering the investigation and influencing the materialwitnesses whose statements are being recorded by CBI," thecourt added.

CBI arrested R S Rana, a BCI member along with anotherperson Manish Tyagi, on December 20 last year for theiralleged role in a corruption case.

Raj, a Chennai-based practising lawyer, however, wasgranted interim anticipatory bail for four weeks by the MadrasHigh Court, which expired on January 21 this year.

Justice Kohli refused to grant him the bail, rejectinghis plea that he had cooperated with CBI in the probe.

"Mere grant of interim anticipatory bail to Raj by theMadras High Court does not automatically entitle him toanticipatory bail in the present proceedings," the court said.

According to CBI, a BCI team of Raj and Rana hadinspected Ghazibad-based Global College of Law on October 25,2010 and demanded an undisclosed sum of birbe for giving it afavourable report for its affiliation with BCI.

The Delhi High Court has already granted bail to Tyagiwhile refusing the same to Rana in December 2010.