Goa politician’s bail plea junked in Russian’s rape case
By IANSMonday, January 4, 2010
NEW DELHI - The Supreme Court Monday refused to grant anticipatory bail to high-profile Goa politician John Fernandes, who faces arrest for allegedly raping a Russian tourist last year.
A bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justice B.S. Chauhan dismissed Fernandes’ bail plea, saying it did not think it to be a fit case for granting bail.
As Fernandes’ counsel U.U. Lalit pressed the bail plea, the bench asked him to argue the matter in detail so that the court in turn could pass a detailed order, dismissing his plea.
Sensing the court’s mood, the counsel withdrew the bail plea, rendering it to be “dismissed as withdrawn”.
A 25-year-old Russian tourist had alleged that Fernandes raped her on Dec 1 midnight last year after spiking her drink.
A trial court had granted anticipatory bail to Fernandes, but the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court cancelled it Dec 16.
Fernandes had lost the last Goa assembly election by a margin of 300 votes.
