Bombay High Court had ordered the release of former Ulhasnagar MLA in a 15-year-old murder case
New Delhi : The Supreme Court has stayed last Friday’s Bombay High Court order to release former Ulhasnagar MLA Suresh Pappu Kalani on bail in a 15-year-old murder case for which he was convicted.
The three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam on Wednesday took on board the Maharashtra Government’s appeal and stayed the High Court order if Kalani is not yet released pursuant to that order.
The State counsel could not state if he was already out on bail.
The bench, which also had Justices Ranjan Gogoi and N V Ramana, also issued a notice to Kalani, which was accepted by his counsel Ravindra Adsure, and fixed the next hearing on April 15.
The trial court had sentenced the 63-year old Kalani to life imprisonment last November for the murder of BJP worker Inder Bhatija in 1999.
Kalani, who is still facing over a dozen other criminal cases, including murders, had won the elections to the Maharashtra Assembly in 1986 and 1990 on the Congress ticket and then as an Independent from 1995 onward by floating his own party.
He was elected for the seat last time in 2004 on the ticket of RPI (Athavale).
