Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Feb 17: A subordinate court here dismissed the petition filed by Criminal Investigation Department (CID) seeking cancellation of anticipatory bail granted to Sri Raghaveshwara Bharathi Swamiji of Ramachandrapur Mutt relating to a rape case filed against him.

In its petition, CID had contended that the Swamiji was not fully cooperating with the investigation and that he was not making himself available for conducting of medical tests. On the basis of this, it had sought cancellation of bail.

When the petition came up for hearing on Monday February 16, advocates for the Swamiji, Arun Shyam and Shambhu Sharma, pointed out that CID had initially said that the Swamiji was not cooperating with investigation. They said that the CID had since changed its stance and now claiming that the Swamiji had not been cooperating in conducting three medical tests.

They stated that the Swamiji had fully cooperated in the investigation, and participated in about 58 hours of investigation and seven hours of medical tests. They also informed the judge that during the hearing of Swamiji's plea seeking cancellation of first information report against him, the additional advocate general had stated before the division bench of the high court that the CID investigation has been concluded and final report would be filed in the court soon. This statement also finds a place in the orders passed by the division bench of the high court, they stated. They argued that there is no meaning in conducting tests once investigation has been completed.

During the hearing in the high court, the judges there had questioned the relevance of the three tests the CID said were needed to be conducted on the Swamiji.

After hearing the arguments, judge of the district and sessions court here, B G Rama, dismissed the petition filed by the CID.