The bail plea of Ramkumar, who was arrested for allegedly killing Infosys techie Swathi in Chennai, was rejected on Wednesday by the Principal Sessions Court in the city after the authenticity of the petition was questioned. Public prosecutor ML Jagan told judge G Jayachandran that the lawyer who filed the petition had no locus standi (the right to appear in court on behalf of Ramkumar).
The petition was filed to gain publicity, Jagan said, as it was filed by a different lawyer than the one who was arguing in court and addressing the media on behalf of Ramkumar. The plea was also filed without the consent of the accused and his family, the prosecutor was quoted as saying by the Times of India.
The bail petition reportedly denied the murder charges on Ramkumar, who was tracked by the Tamil Nadu Police after they zeroed in on his phone number, and also said that he was attacked when the police went to his hometown in Meenakshipuram.
Reports had said that he had attempted suicide by slitting his throat to avoid arrest. However, G Krishnamoorthy, who was until now believed to be Ramkumar's lawyer, said that the suspect was assaulted by someone when the police nabbed him. The prosecutor argued that the prime accused was unconscious after he was arrested and no counsel was sought by him.
Other advocates also filed intervening applications when the Swathi murder case was being heard on July 6, but the judge refused to hear them until the prosecution's doubts were cleared, according to the Hindu.
The next hearing is scheduled for July 15.
