Louis Berger case: Ex-JICA executive Wachasunder withdraws bail plea

PANAJI: Anand Wachasunder, former Goa director of Japan International Cooperation Agency arrested in connection with the Louis Berger pay-off case, today withdrew his bail petition from district court here without citing any reason.

Wachasunder submitted before the court that he is not interested in going ahead with the application which he had filed earlier.

"The petitioner (Wachasunder) has not given any grounds for it (withdrawal). But it is a simple application withdrawing the bail application," public prosecutor Prasad Kirtani told reporters outside the court.

In a related development, the court has remanded Louis Berger company's former Vice-President Satyakam Mohanty, who was arrested yesterday, in three-day police custody.

Wachasundar and Mohanty were arrested separately in connection with the scandal involving the US-based firm which is charged with bribing a minister and officials to win two major water developmental projects in Goa and Guwahati.

The Crime Branch has already questioned former Goa chief minister Digambar Kamat and ex-public works department minister Churchill Alemao in connection with the case.

Both leaders have denied the allegations against them.