Kochi: The High Court has recalled an anticipatory bail order in a case in which advocate Saiby Jose appeared for the accused. Justice Siyad Rahman took the action noting that granting the bail to the accused without hearing the victim’s version was a gross lapse.

The court was at the time informed that the victim had not attended court even though notice had been issued to the person. 

The extraordinary action by the court on a petition by Babu of Pathanamthitta comes in the context of the ongoing police investigation over the incident where advocate Saiby Jose allegedly took bribe money in the name of three judges, including Justice Siyad Rahman, by promising his clients that favourable verdicts by the judges could be arranged. The case will be heard again. The High Court has recalled the order that was issued on April 29, 2022. The charge is that advocate Saiby took a bribe of Rs. 50 lakh.

The petitioner in the case of making caste slur is a native of Ranni. The case was registered in the Ranni police station under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

When the bail petition of the accused came up for hearing, the court had passed orders for issuing notice to the petitioners. The directive was issued to the Ranni Station House Officer (SHO). But when the case was being heard, there were no advocates for the petitioners. When the court asked about it, the prosecution said that notice had been issued to the petitioners.

It was Justice Siyad Rahman who heard the case and Saiby Jose appeared for the defendants. The Vigilance wing of the High Court had found that Saiby Jose had taken Rs. 50 lakh as bribe money claiming to pay off Justice A.A. Siyad Rahman.

On the basis of this revelation, the petitioner approached the High Court praying that the bail granted to the accused should be revoked.  The court opined that the grant of bail to the accused without hearing the victims’ version was a gross violation of the standing orders of the Supreme Court.

Considering this petition, Justice Siyad Rahman cancelled the anticipatory bail granted by himself earlier.    

The anticipatory bail petition will come up for hearing again