Loharia murder case: Bombay HC refuses interim bail to Suresh Bijlani

MUMBAI: The R D Bombay High Court has refused to grant an interim bail to Navi Mumbai builder arrested in connection with the murder of rival builder Sunil Loharia.

Vacation Judge R D Dhanuka, hearing Suresh Bijlani's plea yesterday, was of the view that interim bail of the applicant be heard along with his regular bail application on November 13.

Bijlani had sought interim bail on the ground that his father, Chellaram, was to undergo an operation for mouth cancer on November 9 and he needed to arrange funds for the same. The cost of the operation was around Rs 15 lakh, he told the court.

Bijlani pleaded that his wife had collected Rs five lakh for the operation and he had to arrange for the remaining amount. Hence, he needed to be released on interim bail so that his father can undergo the operation as advised by the doctors.

Additional Public Prosecutor A J Dedhia pleaded that the crime branch had made inquiries in this regard from the Hiranandani Fortis hospital where Bijlani's father was to undergo the operation. The police were told that the patient is yet to be admitted to the hospital.

Since the regular bail petition of Bijlani was to be heard by the court on November 13, the court said it would be proper if the interim bail plea of the applicant was heard on the same day.

Therefore, Justice Dhanuka said, Bijlani's application was being clubbed with the main bail petition and placed for hearing on November 13.

In the regular bail application, Bijlani has pleaded that he was innocent and that he was being "framed" by police.

Loharia was shot dead outside his Navi Mumbai office on February 16.

Police have arrested nine persons, including the two alleged shooters Venkatesh Shettiar and Wajid Qureshi, former 'encounter specialist' Emmanuel Amolik and Navi Mumbai builder Suresh Bijlani, in connection with Loharia's murder.

Three accused are absconding.