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Bombay HC extends anticipatory bail of Tata Tea directors Krishna Kumar, Kidwai

Justice A B Parkar of the Bombay high court has extended the anticipatory bail given to Tata Tea Managing Director R K Krishna Kumar and whole-time director Sayeed M Kidwai for nine weeks till November 12.

The high court on Tuesday also broadened the scope of the anticipatory bail given to Krishna Kumar and Kidwai to cover the entire gamut of complaints regarding aiding and abetting terrorists in Assam.

They were earlier granted anticipatory bail last month in the case of alleged payments of medical bills of Pranati Deka, "cultural secretary" of the United Liberation Front of Asom for her treatment in a Bombay hospital.

A spokesperson of Bombay House, the headquarters of the Tata Group, said on Tuesday said that Krishna Kumar, who has been summoned by the Assam police, has informed the latter that he would be able to make himself available in Guwahati only after October 10 since his presence was required in Bombay to attend the annual general meeting of the Indian Hotels Company scheduled to be held in Bombay on Friday, October 10. Krishna Kumar is the managing director of IHC, which owns the prestigious Taj Group of Hotels.

Meanwhile, the Union home ministry has ordered a comprehensive inquiry into the charges that telephones of private persons, including industrialists Nusli Wadia and Ratan Tata, were tapped as reported in a section of the press.

Official sources said on Wednesday, that the inquiry had been ordered on a complaint by the general manager, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited, Bombay.

The government had earlier said that neither any central agency nor the Maharashtra government had ordered the tapping. However, following reports in the media, the home ministry announced that it had asked for a probe into the tapping of telephone conversations between prominent industrialists.

The sources said the announcement came after a meeting of senior officials of the home ministry and the department of telecommunications. The ministry said that from the reports it appeared that telephones had been tapped which was an offence under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885.

The inquiry would find out how the interception took place and at whose behest, the sources added.

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