Animal husbandry scam: Bail denied to journalist

Lucknow: The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court has yet again refused to grant bail to Anil Rai, a journalist in multi-crore animal husbandry scam case.Passing the order, the bench observed, “Mere languishing in jail during trial cannot be a ground for granting bail if the conspiracy and fraud is of very high magnitude.” A bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh passed the order recently rejecting bail plea of the accused Anil Rai. The HC had earlier also turned down his plea, but in reference to an order of the Supreme Court, the HC was hearing his bail plea afresh.Anil Rai was said to have received Rs 2.8 crores out of Rs. 9.72 crores paid by the complainant to co-accused Ashish Rai and other accused for availing him a government tender in the animal husbandry department. On the plea raised by Anil’s lawyers that many other accused were granted bail in this case, the bench observed,“ The accused Anil has been allegedly involved throughout in the execution of the criminal conspiracy to cheat the complainant, who is a businessman of Indore, of Rs. 9.72 crores and therefore it found no substance in this second application to enlarge him on bail on the ground of parity.”While directing the trial court to proceed with the trial and examine the witnesses of fact expeditiously, the bench, however, said that the applicant Anil may revive the plea of bail once the witnesses of fact get examined.