Image Source: THE TRIBUNE

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Friday rejected the bail application of Hilal Rather, son of former Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather, in the infamous Rs 177-crore J&K Bank loan scam. The bail application of the accused was earlier rejected by the special CBI Court on March 31. Hilal had moved a bail application through advocates Sunil Sethi and Pranab Kohli on medical grounds. Advocate Monika Kohli, who represented the CBI, argued against granting the bail to the main accused in the scam. In the application, it was submitted that due to the medical condition of the accused and in view of the directions passed by the Supreme Court in the light of the coronavirus outbreak, the accused was entitled to interim bail. The application also refers to the medical record of the treatment received by the accused at Government Medical College, Jammu, and at the PGI, Chandigarh, in pursuance to the directions passed by the High Court in an earlier bail application. Opposing the bail application, advocate Monika Kohli argued that the accused had misappropriated the loan amount and utilised the same for his personal use. The investigation in the case is still going on to unearth the larger conspiracy involved in the matter. The accused has been provided adequate treatment at the GMC, Jammu and the PGI, Chandigarh, while in judicial custody by the jail authorities. After listening to the arguments of both sides, Justice Puneet Gupta of the HC said there was no reason to grant bail to the accused on medical grounds as pleaded in the application.