Kerala HC grants bail to CSR fund scam accused Anand Kumar

Kochi, Dec 18 (PTI) The Kerala High Court on Thursday granted bail to K N Anand Kumar, chairman of the National NGO Confederation, who is an accused in around 500 cases of allegedly cheating people by falsely promising scooters and laptops at half price using CSR funds.

Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas said that though the allegations against the petitioner (Kumar) are serious in nature, he is a septuagenarian, suffering from various ailments and has been continuing in custody from March 11.

"I am of the view that further detention is not necessary. I am fortified in the above view since there is no possibility of the petitioner fleeing from justice and also since there are no reasons to assume that petitioner will tamper with the witnesses," Justice Thomas said, granting bail to the accused.

The High Court said that Kumar shall be released on bail on him executing a personal bond for Rs 50,000 with two solvent sureties each for the like sum to the satisfaction of the court having jurisdiction.

The other conditions stipulated by the High Court include that he shall appear before the investigating officer as and when required, shall not intimidate or attempt to influence the witnesses nor tamper with the evidence, not commit any similar offences while on bail and shall not leave India without the permission of the court having jurisdiction.

The order came in seven bail applications moved by Kumar claiming that the prime accused in the cases -- Anandu Krishnan -- conducted several programmes throughout Kerala about the half-price scheme and he (petitioner) only participated in such programmes and even explained the scheme in his capacity as the chairman of the National NGO Confederation.

"..other than explaining the scheme propounded by the first accused, petitioner (Kumar) has not derived any personal benefit, except for an amount of Rs 1.20 crores contributed by the first accused towards Sree Satya Sai Orphanage Trust, which was managed by the petitioner as its Executive Director," Kumar's lawyer had argued in the High Court.

The prosecution had opposed the bail pleas on the ground that Kumar was an accused in more than 500 cases all over the state which are now being investigated by the CBCID and the final report has not been filed in them.

It had also told the court that Kumar, with an intent to cheat the respective defacto complainants, "induced them to deposit large amounts of money by promising to supply various articles at half the actual market value, and thereafter, failed to provide the said articles or return the amounts collected from them".

Krishnan, a resident of Thodupuzha in Idukki district, was arrested for allegedly defrauding people of several crores by promising scooters, sewing machines, home appliances, and laptops at half price, according to the police.

Krishnan allegedly used the contacts of Kumar to cheat the people, police had said. PTI HMP KH