MGNREGA ‘scam': Dahod court dismisses police revision plea against bail to Khabad's sons
The Dahod sessions court, on Thursday, dismissed the plea of the district police seeking stay on the regular bail granted on Wednesday to two sons of Gujarat Minister Bachubhai Khabad — Balvantsinh and Kiran — arrested in an alleged scam of Rs 71 crore in the works carried out under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Apart from a bail bond of Rs 50,000 each, the Khabad brothers have also been barred from staying in Dahod district during the course of the investigations.
The Dahod court rejected the plea of the district police challenging the bail order of Wednesday, following which, the process for the release of Khabad brothers from judicial custody started, lawyers of the Khabads told The Indian Express. Among the bail conditions, the court has directed Balvantsinh and Kiran Khabad to submit a bond of Rs 50,000 each, as well as prohibition from entering Dahod district until the investigation in the case is completed. They have, however, been asked to appear before the investigating officer whenever required.
Advocate AR Chauhan, representing the Khabad brothers, told The Indian Express that the court had directed the brothers to cooperate in the further investigations.
'The Sessions court has upheld the regular bail granted to Balvantsinh and Kiran Khabad on Wednesday… The police application was rejected. They will comply with the conditions.'
On Wednesday, a court granted Balvantsinh and Kiran Khabad regular bail in the case of the alleged MGNREGA scam unearthed in the villages of Devgarh Baria and Dhanpur district. Chauhan had argued on the grounds that the firms of Balvantsinh and Kiran were involved in supplying material and did not have a contract to complete the work on the ground. Their liability cannot be made out in the case of non-completion of MGNREGA projects as they only supplied the material and it was not their task to see if the material was used for completing the roads.
Senior officials of Dahod police remained unavailable for comment on Thursday. A total of 14 persons have been arrested in the alleged scam so far.
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