Judge surprised over bail to Acharya

HYDERABAD: The High Court on Monday issued a personal notice to suspended IAS officer BP Acharya who is accused number one in the APIIC-Emaar township scam case. Justice KC Bhanu, who heard a petition filed by the CBI challenging grant of bail by the lower court to Acharya, former APIIC chairman-cum-managing director, decided to hear the case on Tuesday.He also decided to take up the bail petitions of Koneru Rajendra Prasad, accused number six in the case, on Tuesday. CBI's senior counsel argued that there was no need to get central government's sanction to prosecute Acharya as he was booked under Sections 409 and 120B of IPC and Section 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Moreover, the special CBI court granted bail on Friday though no bail application had been filed by the accused, he said. The judge wondered at the grant of bail without an application for it.Acharya was released from the Chanchalguda jail on Friday after a remand for nearly two months. The CBI court granted him bail as the CBI failed to get government's sanction for his prosecution. Acharya's counsel argued that there was no need for the CBI to keep Acharya in judicial remand in such a situation.Acharya, former principal secretary (home), was arrested on January 30. He is the fourth person to be arrested in the case. He was the managing director of AP Industrial Infrastructure Corporation when the alleged irregularities leading to dilution of APIIC's equity in a joint venture with Emaar Properties _ Emaar Hills Township Private Limited (EHTPL) _ took place. The alleged irregularities involved preferential allotment of villa plots and siphoning of money. He is accused of playing a key role in the APIIC deal with Emaar Properties.