Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (MS)

Bengaluru, May 24: The bail plea of Sandeep Gururaj, who is the prime accused in the Rs 70 crore misappropriation of funds case of Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG) was rejected by the fourth additional chief metropolitan magistrate court of the city.

The accused used was working as a deputy general manager in MEMG. Gururaj is in judicial custody since December 27, 2018 when he was arrested by the police. Cubbon park police had filed a charge sheet that ran into 3,000 pages against Gururaj. The accused had applied for bail against this chargesheet of the police.

Sandeep Gururaj (Right)

The lawyer for the accused argued that Gururaj cannot influence the witnesses or destroy the evidence as the chargesheet is already filed by the police and also for the fact that he will abide by the conditions of bail.

In her argument Sahilaja K Nayak, public prosecutor said that the scam was the brainchild of the accused Gururaj and that he broke the faith imposed in him by Ranjan Pai and Shruthi R Pai, the chairman and director of MEMG respectively.

The prosecutor further argued that there is a possibility that Gururaj will flee the country as he had formed 15 shell companies out of which 10 at different locations overseas. These were used to siphon off the money from the account of the company to his personal accounts.

After hearing the arguments for and against, the court rejected the bail application of the accused.

Three others accused in the case P N Charusmita, wife of Gururaj, Amrita Chengappa, ex-colleague of the prime accused and Meera Chengappa, mother of Amrita have been granted bail by the court in the month of April.

One more accused, Vishal Somanna, who is employed by Qatar Airways as pilot is still absconding. Rs 58 crore of the siphoned amount is said to have been transferred to the accounts held by Vishal.