Kanara gets anticipatory bail, but with rider: Police can seek his remand next week

Ahmedabad, 21 October, 2011

Ahmedbad rural sesstions court today granted anticipatory bail to advocate VH Kanara, who had prepared the affidavit of KD Panth in IPS officer Sajiv Bhatt’s case. Complaintant KD Panth has alleged that Bhatt had made him sign it by force.

The lawyer had approached the court early this week, after he anticipated arrest following inclusion of section 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC in Bhatt’s case, by the investigating officer.

Sessions judge VK Vyas, hearing the case, granted anticipatory bail to Kanara on a bond of Rs 10,000 and a few conditions.

These include that Kanara should remain present before the investigating officer in the case on October 25 for questioning and should also remain present for interrogation whenever called for.

The court also said that if police wanted, they could seek Kanara’s remand by making an application in the court concerned, which would evaluate it on merit.

Kanara has also been asked not to contact or try to coerce any of the witnesses in the case. He has been asked to submit his passport in the court.

The court observed that Kanara, being an advocate, could not run away from the investigation. Also, since he has already recorded statement with the police in this case, it shows that he has cooperated with the probe.

During the hearing, the Gujarat government had alleged that Bhatt, Congress president Arjun Modhvadia and Kanara had conspired to make Pant sign the false affidavit, regarding Bhatt’s presence in the February 27, 2002 meeting called by Chief Minister Narendra Modi with regard to Godhra train burning incident.

In his defence, Kanara had contended that this was a case of false implication and the he has been framed because he did not implicate Modhvadia in the case at the behest of police.

According to Pant’s FIR, Bhatt had taken him to Kanara’s office near Gujarat High Court on night of June 16, where the affidavits were already prepared and he was forced to sign it without reading it.

Before going to Kanara’s office, Pant was taken to Modhvadia’s residence, where he allegedly pressurised him to sign affidavit.